Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young will miss at least four weeks after an MRI revealed a tear of the radial collateral ligament (RCL) in the fifth finger of his left hand.
Young will undergo surgery on Tuesday, the team announced.
The news is obviously a major blow to Atlanta’s hopes for the playoffs or perhaps even the play-in tournament. The Hawks (24-32) currently sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and 3.5 in front of the Toronto Raptors for the final play-in spot.
Young, 25, is 6-foot-1 and averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and a career-high 1.4 steals, shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 37.1 percent on 3-pointers and 85.6 percent on free throws.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Young was selected as an All-Star Game alternate for the Eastern Conference. He has made three All-Star appearances in all.
He has spent all six years of his pro career in Atlanta and carries career averages of 25.6 points, 9.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
Atlanta coach Quin Snyder could potentially move Dejounte Murray to point guard and slide Bogdan Bogdanovic into the starting lineup to try to replace the loss of Young.
More must-reads: