Report: NBA GMs 'waiting on Atlanta' as trade deadline looms

In the lead-up to the NBA trade deadline, there's been an awful lot of talk and not much action, with only two trades completed and mere hours left in which to deal.

Of course, sometimes all it takes is one falling domino to trigger all-out chaos, and the big domino this year appears to belong to the Atlanta Hawks. After winning a franchise-record 60 games a season ago, the Hawks took a comparatively lackluster 31-24 record into the All-Star break and now find themselves at something of a crossroads, with a core that appears to have plateaued.

Amidst reports that Atlanta may be ready to shake things up by selling off Jeff Teague or, more significantly, Al Horford, opposing GMs are waiting with bated breath to see whether the Hawks mean business.

According to Chris Mannix of The Vertical, two GMs responded to inquiries about the heretofore quiet trade market by saying that teams are "waiting on Atlanta."

In other words, the Hawks appear to have the market frozen, and only once it becomes clear what they plan to do can other teams proceed accordingly - whether that means making an aggressive proposal for Horford or Teague, or finally moving on to Plan B.

For their part, the Hawks appear to be waiting for another team to knock their socks off with an offer for their starting point guard or center. Mannix reported last week that the returns they were seeking in potential trades for Horford and Teague were "borderline ridiculous," suggesting they weren't all that serious about dealing them.

The Indiana Pacers have reportedly made overtures about Teague, and the and Utah Jazz have reportedly expressed interest to no effect. While it's unclear whether a team has pitched Atlanta on a specific deal for Horford - who will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end - the asset-rich Boston Celtics are considered a favorite to land him if the Hawks go through with a trade.