Jeff Teague said during an episode of his podcast that he'd take CJ McCollum over Zach LaVine.
Last week, there was some chatter about how the Sacramento Kings reportedly rejected a deal with the Atlanta Hawks at one point in which the teams would've swapped guards Trae Young and Zach LaVine.
The Kings reportedly turned down the deal because they weren't fully prepared to give Young an extension.
After that report surfaced, former Hawks star Jeff Teague reacted during an episode of Club 520. As part of that conversation, he said that he would take Hawks guard CJ McCollum over LaVine.
"I like Zach LaVine as a player, but...I'd take CJ McCollum," he said. "I'd rather have CJ McCollum."
The Hawks ultimately did trade Young, just not to the Kings. They sent him to the Washington Wizards in a January deal last season. That deal, in fact, brought back McCollum and wing Corey Kispert.
It seems like Teague prefers the trade the Hawks actually made over the one that was on the table with the Kings.
McCollum came over to Atlanta and played a key role last season after the trade, helping the team earn an outright playoff bid in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the regular season with the Hawks while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from long range.
In the playoffs, he had some big performances despite a sluggish end to Atlanta's series against the New York Knicks. He averaged 24.5 points per contest in Games 1-4, which included some big shots in clutch moments. Unfortunately, he was held to 17 combined points in Games 5 and 6, and the Hawks were ultimately eliminated.
But Atlanta was still the only team in the playoffs to push the Knicks to six games, and McCollum was a large part of that. The team then gave the veteran a new deal this offseason to make him a part of its 2026-27 plans. He will have a chance to help the Hawks continue to move in a positive direction this coming season.
LaVine, for his part, remains in Sacramento as of now. His 2025-26 campaign was impacted by season-ending surgery.
Despite being a solid scorer, the two-time All-Star is often criticized for his defense, and he has been playing on a pricey deal for several years. That deal will expire after this season, but not before he makes nearly $50 million in 2026-27 salary.
Once that contract expires, he may have a better chance at being part of a winning situation. He is certainly capable of producing, but it will have to be at a reasonable salary in order for a team to have a chance at paying other key players to build a winner.
For now, the Hawks likely feel good about how the trade situation unfolded, especially given their choice to re-sign McCollum this offseason.
