Keaton Wallace’s run with the Atlanta Hawks has wrapped, and the move closes the book on a stretch that never drew much attention but mattered plenty inside the team.
Wallace has signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he’ll be reunited with former Hawks forward Jacob Toppin. He leaves Atlanta after carving out a reputation as a steady backup guard who usually gave the Hawks more than his numbers suggested.
That was the defining trait of his time with the team: he showed up ready whenever the situation changed. Injuries pushed him into bigger minutes at times, and the roster shifted again after the Trae Young trade, but Wallace kept answering the call.
He didn’t chase touches or complain about role. He just played.
The box score only tells part of the story. Wallace averaged 3.5 points per game this past season, but that figure misses the value he brought in scattered bursts throughout the year. He had games where he supplied timely scoring, handled the ball cleanly and brought the kind of energy a bench unit needs over the grind of an 82-game season.
His reliability stood out most. Quin Snyder leaned heavily on Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum for playmaking, but Wallace still gave Atlanta another guard it could trust to settle things down when the second unit needed it. He fit next to just about anybody because he stayed within the offense, defended hard and kept his game simple.
The peak of that stretch came against the Orlando Magic during the 2024-25 season, when Wallace posted the first triple-double of his NBA career with 15 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. It was the kind of night that reminded everyone there was more to his game than his role usually allowed him to show.
That consistency is part of why Maccabi Tel Aviv wanted him. He should get a much bigger opportunity overseas, with room to expand his game in a way he rarely could in Atlanta.
For the Hawks, the move also changes the roster picture a bit. Atlanta has already added Devin Carter and Ryan Nembhard, which adds more traffic to an already crowded backcourt. Wallace’s exit takes some of that pressure off, though the Hawks still have work to do before the regular-season roster is set.
The team has to get down to the NBA’s 15-player limit, and more moves could still be coming. Buddy Hield and Mouhamed Gueye have been mentioned as possible trade candidates if Atlanta finds another chance to improve before training camp.
Wallace’s departure could even have a ripple effect on Jonathan Kuminga’s situation. Every roster spot and financial decision matters as the Hawks keep weighing whether bringing Kuminga back is still the best route. Wallace leaving doesn’t settle that question, but it does add another bit of flexibility while those conversations continue.
However the rest of the roster shakes out, Wallace leaves behind a solid chapter in Atlanta. He wasn’t one of the Hawks’ biggest names, but he earned trust, delivered when needed and became one of the more underrated contributors on the roster. Maccabi Tel Aviv is getting a player who made the most of every chance he was given.
In Other News...
Jacob Toppin's Hawks Exit Raises One Frustrating What-If
Jacob Toppins run through Atlanta never really got a clean chance to breathe. After being waived by the Hawks, he spent time with the club and its G League affiliate while working his way back from a shoulder injury, then showed up again in the 2026 summer league as he tried to give the team another reason to keep him around. Instead, roster constraints pushed the decision in a different direction, closing the door on a player who had barely had enough court time to show what he could do.
Now there is a fresh landing spot for Toppin, who has signed a three-year contract with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel. For the Hawks, it leaves behind the familiar frustration of a what-if: a young player who had limited opportunities, battled through injury and still seemed to be on the edge of a longer look, only to move on before Atlanta could fully answer what he might have become in its system. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks May Be One Injury Away From A Familiar Frontcourt Problem
Atlanta spent the offseason trying to add younger legs and more depth, using the draft to bring in Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar while also swinging trades for Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort and Devin Carter. Even after all that movement, the Hawks made one of their quieter but more important moves by bringing back Jock Landale, a bid to shore up the middle after the Kristaps Porzingis trade left the frontcourt thinner than it would have liked.
The starting group is expected to stay intact, so the real pressure point is the reserve center spot and how well Landale holds up in it. Atlanta already got a reminder of how quickly that position can become an issue, and with limited proven alternatives behind him, any extended absence would force the Hawks toward some uncomfortable solutions again. [Read more 🡒]