Trae Young is getting close.
The Hawks have listed Young as questionable for Thursday’s game in Charlotte, giving the All-Star guard a chance to return for the first time since October 29. Young has missed 22 games after suffering a right knee injury early in the season that was later diagnosed as a sprained MCL.
If he does return, it will come with one notable footnote. Young is no longer eligible for end-of-season awards, including All-NBA, since he will not reach the 65-game minimum.
Before going down, Young averaged 20.8 points and 9.5 assists across four full games, though his shooting lagged behind. He connected on just 36.4 percent from the field and went 5-of-26 from three.
Atlanta has managed to stay afloat without him. After a 1-3 start, the Hawks have gone 14-9 and sit at 15-12, with Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Vit Krejci all taking on larger playmaking roles.
Young practiced with the College Park Skyhawks on Tuesday and with the Hawks on Wednesday, a sign his return is imminent. If he doesn’t play Thursday, Friday’s home game against San Antonio is next.
There has been some trade chatter surrounding Young, but ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported Atlanta expects his return to elevate a team that has already proven it can compete without him.
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