A torn left ACL will sideline Hawks forward Saddiq Bey for the rest of the season, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. An MRI conducted Monday morning revealed the damage.
Bey suffered the injury early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against New Orleans, according to Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. He collided with Trey Murphy on a fast break, turning his foot as he planted it on the court. Bey pounded his fist before grabbing his leg in pain.
He tried to stay in the game, Williams adds, but limped to the locker room after shooting his free throws.
Bey averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in his first full season with Atlanta after being acquired from Detroit at last year’s deadline. He started 51 of the 63 games he appeared in and shot 41.6% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range.
Bey, 24, is making $4.5M this season and was on a path toward being a restricted free agent this summer. He met “starter criteria” by making his 41st start last month, increasing the value of his qualifying offer from $6,498,258 to $8,486,620. The injury will obviously factor into the Hawks’ QO decision.
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