Jeff Teague Wants to Stay With Pacers but for a Nice Raise
With the Indiana Pacers beset by questions on how to best manage its assets after a first-round sweep by defending champs Cleveland Cavaliers, all eyes are on Pacers star Paul George. The looming free agency of point guard Jeff Teague could be more pressing for the team, however, as his contract expires this season. What's next for the Indiana native?
The Indiana Pacers have a lot to cope with this offseason, and not just because of the 4–0 sweep dealt to them by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) 2017 Playoffs. Pacers star George is entering the last guaranteed year of his Pacers contract, but the possibility of a trade looks real if Indiana's chances of competing for a title look as dim as it did this season.
Not only that, Pacers president and team leader Larry Bird is also going into his last year of contract with the team, according to Basketball Insiders. With him and George possibly leaving the team by the next season, it will be harder for the Indiana Pacers to persuade free agents to pick their team.
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It so happens that Teague, point guard for the Pacers, is a pending free agent. With his season average at 15.3 points, 7.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, his value as a point guard is on the rise, as pointed out by Roto World. Teague is also shooting an average of 44.2 percent this season. League sources estimate his value next season to be in the $15 million to $17 million range. If free agent point guards become a rare commodity this offseason, which might be likely due to point guards opting to stay with their teams, this value could go much higher.
Teague himself would like to stay with the pacers. "I love Indiana," he told NBA.com. "You all know me, born and raised, tattoos on my arm. I've wanted to play for the Pacers my whole life. It's a great opportunity for me and I love to be here," Teague continued. With that, the Pacers will have to consider if they want to re-sign the point guard at his new value.
