Hawks Injury Update: Trae Young Undergoes Surgery, Will Be Out for an Extended Period

The Atlanta Hawks suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. During the game, 3x NBA All-Star Trae Young looked out of sorts, as he could only manage to score 11 points in 35 minutes of playing time. Trae Young’s underwhelming performance puzzled fans. However, now the reason behind Young’s off night is clear.

In a recently released injury report, the Hawks stated that Trae suffered a left-hand injury against the Raptors. According to Atlanta’s injury report, “He underwent an MRI yesterday, which revealed a tear of the radial collateral ligament (RCL) in the fifth finger of his left hand.” The 3x All-Star would have to undergo a surgery in order to repair his RCL. The injury is expected to sideline Trae Young for at least four weeks. He’s scheduled to have surgery on Monday.

Trae Young‘s injury couldn’t have occurred at a worse time. With less than 30 regular season games remaining, the Hawks find themselves locked in a four-way battle for the last two play-in spots in the Eastern Conference. Young’s stellar performances have been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal campaign for everyone associated with the Hawks. The 25-year-old guard has averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 assists (only behind Tyrese Haliburton) and 2.7 rebounds per game this season.

The Hawks currently occupy the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, with 24 wins from 56 games. As per the timeline provided by the Hawks, Young would approximately miss 15 matches, returning against the Blazers on 27th March at the earliest. With the Brooklyn Nets trailing them by just three wins, the Hawks’ hold on the 10th spot could be at risk.

What next for the Atlanta Hawks?

The Hawks have endured a disappointing 2023-24 season, and Trae Young’s injury has further compounded their misery. Following a promising 2021 playoff campaign, the Hawks were supposed to push on and achieve greater things. However, the ensuing two and a half seasons have been marred by continuous disappointment. They haven’t managed to get past the first round in both the 2022 and 2023 playoffs.

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This season, the Hawks have looked even more dysfunctional. Atlanta’s hierarchy were willing to trade away their second best player, Dejounte Murray, in order to recoup some draft capital. Moreover, rumors have also emerged that franchise cornerstone, Trae Young, is also pondering over a trade to greener pastures. The Trae Young experiment in Atlanta is tethering on the edge of collapse, and his recent injury might push it over the edge.