Jock Landale said he considered stepping away from the NBA during the past year, revealing he was close to returning to overseas basketball before ultimately staying in the league and re-signing with the Atlanta Hawks on a new one-year, $14 million contract.
Landale described how fatherhood shifted his perspective and how frustration with a limited NBA role led him to question his future. He wrote on Instagram he was “contemplating giving up on the NBA” and felt worn down by the lack of consistent opportunity as a rotation center, adding that he was close to heading back to leagues he “truly respect and enjoy.”
The 30-year-old center ultimately stayed after receiving support from people around him and rebuilding his value during a career-best campaign. Atlanta retained him after a season in which he played 68 games, started 27, and averaged 10.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 22.1 minutes per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 38.3% from three.
His efficiency profile remained a defining factor in Atlanta’s frontcourt rotation. Landale posted a 58.2% effective field goal rate while attempting 2.8 threes per game, giving the Hawks a stretch option alongside center Onyeka Okongwu, who averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and shot 37.6% from deep during Atlanta’s 46-36 season.
Landale’s season began in Memphis before he was traded to Atlanta. With the Grizzlies, he averaged 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game while shooting 38.0% from three. After the move, he posted 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 19.4 minutes with Atlanta, maintaining high-end shooting efficiency at 39.1% from deep.
Across the league, his expanded role attracted multiple suitors in free agency. Teams including the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers all showed interest before he committed to Atlanta’s short-term deal.
The Hawks finished 46-36, won the Southeast Division, and reached the playoffs before losing in the first round to the eventual champion New York Knicks. Landale provided consistent reserve minutes behind Okongwu, offering spacing that helped stabilize bench lineups in a season where Atlanta ranked in the middle tier of Eastern Conference contenders.
Over five NBA seasons with San Antonio, Phoenix, Houston, Memphis, and Atlanta, Landale has averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds, but his 2025-26 production marked a clear jump in usage, scoring efficiency, and offensive involvement. His 22.1 minutes per game also represented a career high in sustained rotation responsibility.
