One of the Hawks' biggest question marks heading into last season was how exactly the tail end of their nightly rotation would shake out.
Most of the depth chart was known, but once it got to the ninth-man and on, it became a bit unclear. On opening night against the Toronto Raptors - which ultimately aged as a humiliating home defeat - Head Coach Quin Snyder gave a bold answer to the rotation conundrum.
Keaton Wallace was Trae Young's backup point guard. He got the nod, to the surprise of many. Wallace, overall, had a solid rookie season for limited the action he received. It wouldn't have come as a shock to see him stay on the roster long-term.
After just how the Hawks began to operate following the season's conclusion, though, his departure became inevitable. And now it's official.
Wallace signed overseas after Hawks brought in several new guards
After remaining an unrestricted free agent for much of the summer, Wallace ultimately signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
There's a chance there was interest around the league in acquiring Wallace's services on a short-term deal, but there are now few teams with much cap or roster space left. Letting talks stall can be risky.
Plus, once it was made clear that Atlanta had no intentions of bringing him back on a standard deal, his camp had to get creative.
The first move that signaled Wallace's time in Atlanta would be coming to an end was the selection of Kingston Flemings with the eighth-overall pick. Of course, Flemings was set to have the upper-hand on Wallace for a shot at nightly minutes.
Next were the trades for Sacramento's Devin Carter and Dallas' Ryan Nembhard. Both were on standard deals, and both had more proven NBA-level production than Wallace. He would've been fighting quite an uphill battle if he re-signed, especially considering that the Hawks are now two above the roster limit.
Don't rule out an NBA comeback for the 27-year-old
Now more than ever, players have real incentive to take a break from the NBA, letting scouts and personnel reconsider their value while they continue playing professional ball.
The intensity overseas is impressive, and suiting up for Tel Aviv will help Wallace - as well as Jacob Toppin, another former Hawk - remain in NBA shape while awaiting a second look.
Wallace's two seasons in Atlanta were solid, and fans should wish him nothing but the best in his new journey.
Add us as a preferred source on Google