Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young exited Wednesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets after suffering a right knee sprain in the first quarter.
The injury occurred when teammate Mouhamed Gueye was shoved into Young by Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney during an inbounds play, as shown in a clip shared by Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, an MRI is scheduled for Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.
Young immediately grabbed at his knee after the collision but initially stayed in the game once play resumed. However, as ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported, he checked out after one possession and went to the locker room for evaluation.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder later told reporters that early indications suggest there’s no damage to Young’s ACL, but the team will wait for imaging results before determining his status.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype noted that Young had a slight limp while leaving Barclays Center but didn’t require crutches or a walking boot, a potentially positive sign for the All-Star guard.
Losing Young for an extended period would be a major blow for the Hawks, who have started the season 2–3 despite adding Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard in the offseason.
Young has remained the centerpiece of Atlanta’s offense, averaging 20.8 points and 9.5 assists per game entering Wednesday’s matchup.
Though he’s struggled from three-point range early on – shooting just 19.2% through four games – his playmaking remains vital to the team’s rhythm.
Contractually, Young’s future also looms as a storyline. The Hawks opted not to pursue an extension this offseason, and the guard said in September that he had hoped to secure a new deal before training camp.
He holds a $49 million player option for the 2026–27 season and will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to a projected $223 million. For now, however, Atlanta’s focus is firmly on Young’s health and how quickly he can return to the court.
ICYMI: Trae Young is being evaluated after injuring his knee on Wednesday. Story: https://t.co/qZEVmcuFeY
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) October 30, 2025
