Image Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Trae Young Injury Update: Atlanta Hawks Star to be Sidelined for Four Weeks with MCL Sprain

The Hawks received a significant blow in the beginning of the season!

Image Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks, who finished the 2024-25 NBA season with a 40-42 overall and 30-22 in the Eastern Conference, were hoping for a favorable start to the latest season. However, things haven’t been really going in their favor. After kicking off the campaign with three wins and three losses in the first six games, the Hawks received a big blow in the form of star guard Trae Young’s injury.

What Happened to Trae Young and How Long will he be Sidelined for?

An @emoryhealthcare injury update:

Trae Young, who left Wednesday’s game at Brooklyn due to a right knee sprain, underwent an MRI on Friday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. The MRI confirmed a right knee MCL sprain and no additional structural damage. Young has begun… pic.twitter.com/hXebsQp54J
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 1, 2025

Trae Young will be sidelined for at least four weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee, as per an official announcement from the Hawks. Per the Hawks, Young underwent an MRI exam on Friday, which confirmed the injury with no structural damage. He has begun rehabilitation, and will be re-evaluated after four weeks and an update will be shared at that time.

Trae Young went to the locker room after an apparent leg injury on this play. pic.twitter.com/OtAeoQegFf
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 30, 2025

The four-time NBA All-Star suffered the injury during a 117-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. In the first quarter of the game, he collided with teammate Mouhammed Gueye as Gueye fell backward after contact on the baseline and directly into Young’s knee. Young’s knee moved in the wrong direction and he fell to the floor, holding his knee in pain. He walked to the locker room and was ruled out for the remainder of the game before halftime with a knee sprain.

Impact of Trae Young’s Injury on Atlanta Hawks

According to NBA.com, if the given timeline holds true, Young is likely to miss at least 15 games. This would already put him on the verge of being ineligible for season-ending NBA awards because of the minimum requirement of 65 games decided by the league. While his diagnosis isn’t the worst-case scenario for the Hawks, it is still a significant blow. He has been leading the Hawks in scoring every season since his 2018-19 debut campaign.

In the first five games of the ongoing season, he has been averaging 17.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, and 7.8 apg. His average has gone down as compared to last year after he produced an average of 24.2 ppg, and led the league in assists per game with 11.6.

The Hawks have players such as Kristaps Porzingis, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher, who are expected to guide the side in the absence of Young.

Trae Young

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.