Hawks’ Trae Young to miss time with concussion

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young suffered a concussion after taking an inadvertent elbow from Cleveland Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro in Saturday’s loss, the team announced.

Young left the game with 8:43 left in the fourth quarter, when the collision took place. Okoro was called for an offensive foul on the play, but after review, it was ruled a common foul.

Young will now begin the league-mandated Return-to-Participation process, which includes a series of steps “designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom-free behavior before resuming basketball activities,” the Hawks said in a statement.

No timetable for his return has been determined.

Young, 25, is averaging 26.9 points, 10.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds, shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 36.4 percent on 3-pointers. 

The Hawks (18-24) sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and are widely expected to trade guard Dejounte Murray before the Feb. 8 deadline. Others such as small forward De’Andre Hunter and center Clint Capela have also been mentioned in trade rumors over the past few weeks.

Young is in his sixth NBA season and carries career averages of 25.6 points, 9.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds, while shooting 43.6 percent overall and 35.3 percent on threes. He is a four-time All-Star and is making $40 million with three years left on his contract.

An @emoryhealthcare injury update (2/2):

Per the league’s Concussion Policy, Young will begin the NBA-mandated Return-to-Participation process. This process includes a series of steps designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom-free behavior before resuming basketball…

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 21, 2024