Jock Landale wasted no time making his presence felt in his first appearance with the Hawks, turning in a standout all-around performance with 26 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in Thursday’s victory against Utah.
The circumstances surrounding his arrival made the night even more impressive. Landale was still in Memphis when news of the trade broke, and although the team offered to arrange a flight for him, he declined.
Instead, he chose to get behind the wheel and make the roughly five-and-a-half-hour drive to Atlanta himself, as reported by Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
His decision was driven by urgency and a desire to be available immediately.
“I kind of said, if I’m looking to play that next night, I want to get there as soon as possible,” Landale said. “So loaded up the truck and hit the road.”
Landale has played 5 seasons for 5 teams, including the Rockets and Hawks. He has averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 268 regular-season games.
Hawks Notes: Kuminga, Hield, Landale, Okongwu, Saleh https://t.co/p9ZRNdO3ww pic.twitter.com/AWmLAYlfIr
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 8, 2026
