Jock Landale Re-Signing With Hawks

Atlanta will use nearly all of its $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the deal because Landale’s Non-Bird Rights are too low for him to reach that salary otherwise, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link). Gozlan also notes that the market for top backup centers is being set at $14MM-$15MM per year with this deal and Robert Williams re-signing with Portland.

The contract seems to indicate that Landale will be the Hawks’ No. 2 center behind Onyeka Okongwu, observes Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link). Rowland hears that Landale would have received multiyear offers from other teams above the biannual exception (projected at $5.494MM for 2026/27) if he had reached free agency. The Bulls, Lakers, Clippers, Sixers and Cavaliers were listed as potential suitors in a recent report.

Landale signed with Memphis as a free agent last summer, then was traded twice at this year’s deadline. He was sent to Utah on February 3 as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal, then was rerouted to Atlanta two days later in exchange for cash.

Landale was productive in 23 regular season games with the Hawks, averaging 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 51.6% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range. He suffered a high right ankle sprain in early April and wasn’t able to return for the first-round playoff series against New York.

Atlanta is now within $11.7MM of the tax line, which could make it difficult to re-sign forward Jonathan Kuminga, Gozlan adds (Twitter link). The team declined its $24.3MM option on Kuminga on Monday.