Former Sooner Trae Young suffers early-season injury blow

Just as his 2025-26 season was getting going, Atlanta Hawks guard and former Oklahoma Sooner Trae Young will be sidelined for multiple weeks.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday, Young suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee during the Hawks' 117-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Young will be re-evaluated in four weeks, but, per Charania, Young "dodged major structural damage in the knee."

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young out at least 4 weeks

Nets forward Noah Clowney pushed the Hawks' Mouhamed Gueye, who fell backward into Young's knee and sent Young down to the court. It was initially feared Young tore his ACL, which would have ended his season. Hawks coach Quin Snyder confirmed after Wednesday's game, though, that Young at least avoided an ACL injury.

Young actually stayed in the game despite being down for a bit. However, after Snyder briefly observed Young on the court, he promptly took him out.


"He didn't want to come out of the game," Snyder said. "He's such a competitor. He takes a lot of pride in being available. ...

"You saw it tonight, too. He tried to stay in there. He told me, 'Just give me a couple minutes,' and I told him, 'If I don't like what I see, I'm taking you out.'"

Young missed the Hawks' last game against the Indiania Pacers on Friday night. Despite not having Young, the Hawks still won 128-108 to start NBA Cup group play.

Through five games in the young season, Young was averaging 17.8 points and 7.8 assists in 27.8 minutes an outing. Young was an NBA All-Star for the fourth time in his career last season as the Hawks' franchise player.

When he's not playing, Young is assistant general manager for the Sooners, which is a role he just accepted this past spring.