San Antonio Spurs: Wolves Interest in Teague Promising for George Hill

The San Antonio Spurs could benefit from Jeff Teague reportedly committing to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

At 12:01 a.m. ET, 2017 NBA free agency will kick off. It will see all 30 teams battle for the players whose contracts have expired. This includes the San Antonio Spurs going after players like Andre Iguodala and Kyle Korver.

Perhaps the biggest name the Spurs are targeting is George Hill. They’ll likely face competition for him from the New York Knicks. It looked like the Utah Jazz would be in the mix, but that changed with the Ricky Rubio trade.

Another option could have been the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, as ESPN’s Marc Stein reported, Jeff Teague “has already committed” to the team, which would mean him playing point guard.

The Knicks have abandoned their hopes of meeting with Jeff Teague, league sources say, convinced Teague has already committed to Minnesota

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 30, 2017

If true, this is positive news for the Spurs. That’s even before free agency begins at 12:01 a.m. ET.

If Minnesota signs Teague, it officially takes two point guard-needy teams off the free agent market. The Knicks still lurk, but the more teams away from players at the one spot, the better for San Antonio.

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If Teague leaves, that leaves the Indiana Pacers open for business at point guard. However, with Paul George potentially on the move, that may put the team in a rebuilding mode. Would they still consider a point guard that will likely be expensive then?

Hill started his career with the Spurs, so it’s possible he desires a return to the Alamo City. He was dealt in the Kawhi Leonard draft-day deal of 2011, which changed the landscape of the franchise for years to come.

Regarding a fit, Tony Parker will miss part of the season with a quadriceps injury. That leaves just Dejounte Murray and Derrick White as contracted players that can play point guard. Hill at least has familiarity with Gregg Popovich, and could be a stop-gap option on a two or three-year deal. Would he take lesser money to return to the place he started his NBA career, too?

Next: Top 10 Free Agent Targets for San Antonio

Hill will be a player to watch on July 1. Will the Spurs be able to reel him in?