Hawks’ Jalen Johnson to miss rest of season with shoulder injury

Atlanta Hawks’ forward Jalen Johnson will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“Atlanta Hawks’ Jalen Johnson will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a shoulder injury, sources tell ESPN. Johnson has averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists for the Hawks this season,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Johnson suffered a left shoulder injury in the second quarter of their game against the Toronto Raptors and didn’t return. He’s been out since, and in the Hawks’ recent game against the Houston Rockets, he was on the bench wearing a sling.

This season, Johnson had become a rising young star for the Hawks, and his absence will be felt on the team as they try to navigate without him.

Hawks must continue season without Jalen Johnson

Jalen Johnson has been a big part of the Hawks this season and was in conversations for Most Improved Player at the end of the year. The team hasn’t fared well when Johnson has missed games, and it will be an uphill battle to replace what he brings to the court on both sides of the ball with more injuries on the team.

With the latest news, this means that Trae Young will have to do more on the court offensively for the Hawks to try and replace some of what Johnson brought. It’ll be interesting to see if the Hawks also make a trade before the deadline to get more depth at the position, or will they continue to ride it out with the players they already have.

The Hawks are currently on a six-game losing streak, and with this recent news, it’s hard to see what direction the team will go in as the season progresses.

Before the season started, Johnson and the Hawks agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract extension.