Jeff Teague is re-joining the Hawks to complete a weird four-year NBA trade loop

NBA time is a flat circle.

At least that’s true if you’re Allen Crabbe and Jeff Teague.

On Thursday, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Atlanta Hawks are getting back Jeff Teague — who spent seven years with the franchise to start his career — from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are receiving guard Allen Crabbe back in the trade that also sent Treveon Graham to Atlanta.

That’s not so strange, and it’s a relatively minor trade in the grand scheme of things.

But there are a bunch of folks who noticed this line of transactions that got Teague back to the Hawks:

1. In 2016, the Hawks dealt Teague to the Pacers in the three-team deal that also sent George Hill to the Jazz, and with the 12th pick Atlanta got, they drafted Taurean Prince out of Baylor.

2. In 2019, the Hawks traded Prince to the Brooklyn Nets for Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a 2020 first rounder and … Allen Crabbe!

3. On Thursday, the Hawks traded Crabbe to the T-Wolves for Teague.

Atlanta traded Jeff Teague in 2016 for the draft pick that became Taurean Prince.
Atlanta traded Taurean Prince in 2019 for two draft picks and Allen Crabbe.
Atlanta traded Allen Crabbe in 2020 for Jeff Teague 🤯

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) January 16, 2020

The Hawks traded Jeff Teague to the Pacers in 2016 and received Taurean Prince, who was traded in 2019 for a package that included Allen Crabbe, who was traded in 2020 for Jeff Teague. pic.twitter.com/ykBQgLAJgi

— Jon Hamm (@JonMHamm) January 16, 2020

Whoa!