Stranger Stats #6: Bro Drove 5.5 Hours After Being Traded and Dropped a Career High! A Look at Career-High Performances in Debuts
NBA trade deadline chaos always brings excitement around the league, and this past 2026 deadline was no exception.
Beyond the blockbuster moves that dominated all the headlines, one story stood out to me: the Jock Landale saga. Traded twice in 24 hours, he ended up driving his truck to his new team, and then immediately dropped a career high in his debut.
Stories like this are exactly what Stranger Stats lives for.
So today, let’s break down some career-high performances that happened in a player’s first game with a new team.
Jock Randale’s Crazy Trade Deadline Story
On Feb. 3rd, 2026, Jock Randale is traded from Memphis Grizzlies to the Utah Jazz in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade.
On Feb. 4th, 2026, Jock Randale is traded again from Utah Jazz to Atlanta Hawks for cash considerations.
Landale later recalls that he found out about the second trade while already on a flight to Utah.
So he got off the plane, went home briefly, then load up his truck and drove five and a half hours from Memphis to Atlanta to report to the his new team the Hawks.
And guess what he did next?
On Feb. 5th, 2026, Jock Randale dropped a career high 26 points to beat Utah Jazz who just traded him for some cash. What a gangster!
New Team: Atlanta Hawks
Old Team: Memphis Grizzlies
This is for sure one of the most best stories I’ve heard in the NBA. Check out his full post-game interview video, where Jock broke down the full story of this crazy 2026 trade deadline.
Coach Rick Carlisle Was Once a Baller
The decorated coach for the Indiana Pacers, which 1000+ win over his coaching career, Rick Carlisle, was once a player too!
After 3 seasons with the Celtics, Rick joined the New York Knicks in 1988. He put out a standout performance in his first game as a Knicks at the Garden:
New Team: New York Knicks
Old Team: Boston Celtics
The Goat Kai Jones Making His Goat Case
Kai Jones’s athleticism and playstyle is electric to say the least. He proclaimed himself as the goat, well maybe he does have a case??
In 2024-25 season, Jones was waived by the Clippers after the trade deadline. He then joined a short-handed, injury-plagued Dallas Mavericks who was desperate for some inside-big presence. The “goat” Jones was actually very solid for them, putting up a respectable 12.4 points in 12 games played. In his first game, Jones showed up ready to go, with a career-high in points:
New Team: Dallas Mavericks
Old Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Nik Stauskas (aka Sauce Castillo) Spoils LeBron’s Lakers Debut
Nik Stauskas was a legendary NCAA player, and came in to the NBA as the 8th pick in the highly hyped-up 2014 draft. Despite the high hopes on him as a lights-out shooter, this draft choice later proved to be a disappoinment.
Nevertheless, Nik had many highlights throughout his carrer, one of which being his first game as a Portland Trail Blazer in 2018. In the season opener against the Lakers, he put up 24 points in a winning debut, and spoiled the debut of another player… LeBron James! Yep that’s right, LeBron and the Lakers youngins came short in their first game, scorched by the hot shooting performances by Dame, CJ and Nik!
New Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Old Team: Brooklyn Nets