Jeff Teague, Jeff Teague Free Agency, NBA Free Agency 2017
Apr 17, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Jeff Teague (44) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the first half in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze

The New York Knicks will pursue point guard Jeff Teague when NBA Free Agency 2017 gets underway Saturday. Despite selecting French teenager Frank Ntilikina during last week's draft, the Knicks believe they need a veteran floor general to kick off the 2017-18 NBA season, per reports.

With the Knicks letting go off president Phil Jackson, general manager Steve Mills has been elevated until owner James Dolan finds a suitable replacement for the Zen Master. According to ESPN's Ian Begley, Mills had engaged the Atlanta Hawks in a potential trade for Teague a few years ago.

"With Phil Jackson out and the triangle de-emphasized, the Knicks, under general manager Steve Mills, have interest in free agent point guard Jeff Teague, league sources told ESPN. League sources say the interest in Teague is mutual. The Knicks, under Mills, had talked to the Hawks about trading for Teague two years ago," Begley reported on Wednesday.

Knicks Free Agency: Could Jeff Teague and Blake Griffin be targets?

The exit of Jackson has reportedly made the Knicks an attractive destination for free agents. With US$79 million (AU$103 million) committed against salaries for the 2017-18 season, the Knicks don't have the needed funds to sign max-level players. However, the long overdue Carmelo Anthony trade would free up a ton of cap space that could be enough to sign both Teague and Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the new-look Knicks front office is focusing all its energy on the free agency period which gets underway at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday.

The Pacers acquired Teague last summer in a three-team trade involving the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks. After acquiring George Hill from Indiana, the Jazz sent their No. 12 overall draft pick to Atlanta. In his first year as a Pacer, Jeff Teague managed to play all 82 regular-season games for a respectable tally of 15.3 points, 7.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds. During the four-game series against the Cavs, Teague averaged 17.0 points, 6.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds. Stay tuned for the latest updates on NBA Free Agency 2017.