Jacob Toppin’s run with the Hawks has come to an end, and his next stop is overseas.
After Atlanta brought him in on a two-way deal following his waiver by the New York Knicks during the 2024-25 season, Toppin later landed a second two-way contract with the Hawks before last season. But a shoulder injury derailed that stint quickly, limiting him to just five games with the College Park Skyhawks before his season was shut down.
Now the 26-year-old is headed to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel on a three-year contract, the first overseas deal of his professional career.
Toppin’s time in Atlanta never really got a clean runway. He appeared in six games for the Hawks’ main roster, then spent five games with College Park last season before the injury hit on Nov.
- His production in those G League games was strong: 18.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest.
The recovery required surgery to repair a torn labrum, and weeks later Atlanta let him go in order to add a healthy two-way player.
He did make a return to the floor with the Hawks at the 2026 summer league, trying to earn another two-way or guaranteed spot. But the numbers worked against him. Atlanta already has RayJ Dennis, Keshon Gilbert, and newly signed Jalen Wilson occupying its three two-way contracts, and with 17 guaranteed NBA deals on the books plus Jonathan Kuminga’s decision still unresolved, there simply wasn’t room.
Hapoel Tel Aviv is getting a player with clear NBA-level tools. Toppin brings athletic pop, the kind that showed up in the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend, along with a perimeter touch that has held up well enough in the G League. Over his G League career, he shot 35.6% from deep on 5.4 attempts per game.
At 6 feet 9 and 205 pounds, he also offers real defensive flexibility. He can chase quicker guards on the perimeter, battle wings in the post, and use his length and timing as a help-side shot blocker.
Tel Aviv Professional Director George Hinas praised that versatility in the team’s release, saying, "Jacob is a player who can play multiple positions. He is athletic, has shooting ability, and is hungry to win titles in the country where his roots come from. We congratulate him on joining our family and wish him success,"
Toppin joins a Hapoel roster with plenty of NBA experience already on it. Antonio Blakeney, Johnathan Motley, Vasilije Micić, Ish Wainright, Dan Oturu, and Tyler Ennis are all former league players, giving Tel Aviv a battle-tested group as it aims for the 2026-27 Israel Premier League title.
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