When news broke of reported trade talks between the 76ers and Atlanta Hawks involving a deal that would center around Jeff Teague and Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia fans seemed very lukewarm on the idea.
Charles Barkley loved it for Philly, but that's a whole 'nother story.
If Sixers fans didn't like the idea before, they're going to like it even less today. That's because Jeff Teague revealed on his Instagram (since deleted) that he played during the 2015-16 season with a torn patella tendon.
Here's how the Hawks' blog PeachTreeHoops reacted:
This is, of course, huge news for the soon-to-be 28-year-old point guard, as Teague is set to enter a contract year in 2016-2017 in addition to the trade rumors. Teague struggled in many aspects during the 2015-2016 season, taking a sizable step back from his breakout, All-Star season in 2014-2015, but he did manage to shoot 40% from beyond the three-point line, which helped Teague to maintain real value offensively. Still, his defensive regression and overall downgrade were undeniable, and this ailment could help to explain those issues.
You can read the deleted message that Teague posted below.
Philly may wanna reconsider that Nerlens-for-Teague trade if Jeff Teague's (now-deleted) Instagram post is true... 🤕 pic.twitter.com/DSd6B4Fm0z— Mike Goldfarb (@Shaqtin_A_Fool) June 9, 2016
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According to an ESPN report, Teague did not have surgery and is expected back on the court soon.
Source: #Hawks Jeff Teague played through a partial tear. Had MRI after the season, no surgery. Plan for him to be back on court soon.— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzESPN) June 9, 2016
If you're still not sold on Bryan Colangelo staying away from a Jeff Teague for Nerlens Noel swap, give this post by Derek Bodner a read and I'll bet you'll want Colangelo to delete these rumors once and for all.
