Trae Young nearing return, could play Wednesday

Trae Young is nearing a return to action, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that the Hawks‘ star guard could play as soon as Wednesday vs. Charlotte.

The team announced earlier this week that Young, who underwent left hand surgery in February after tearing a ligament in his finger, had been cleared for practice and contact, so Wojnarowski’s report doesn’t come as a major surprise.

It sounds like Atlanta’s goal will be to get Young back on the court for at least a couple games before the team’s play-in matchup vs. Chicago next week. After Wednesday's contest vs. the Hornets, the Hawks will wrap up the regular season by visiting Minnesota on Friday and Indiana on Sunday.

Although they’re locked into the No. 9 vs. 10 play-in game, the Hawks could gain home court advantage for that win-or-go-home showdown with a strong finish. They’re currently one game back of Chicago in the standings, though the Bulls hold the tiebreaker.

The Hawks won 12 of their first 20 games after Young went down in February, but are currently in the midst of a three-game losing streak and will welcome the return of their leading scorer. An All-Star this season for the third time in his career, Young has averaged 26.4 points and a career-high 10.8 assists in 51 games (36.5 MPG), with a shooting line of .426/.371/.856.