How long is Trae Young out? Injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Hawks guard

Tom Gatto

•
How long is Trae Young out? Injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Hawks guard image

Trae Young has been the brightest spot for a Hawks team that has been at or near the bottom of the NBA standings all season. The ankle sprain Young suffered Dec. 27 in Atlanta's loss to the Bucks has dimmed that ray of hope indefinitely.

Young is averaging 28.5 points and 8.3 assists through 31 games. He had picked up the scoring pace in the second half of December; before the injury, he was on a streak of five consecutive games of at least 30 or more, led by a 47-point effort in Brooklyn on Dec. 21. That run ended with 12 points in 15 minutes vs. Milwaukee.

INJURY UPDATES: Stephen Curry | Zion Williamson

This is the second ankle sprain for Young this season. He was hurt in late October and missed one game.

What's next for Atlanta's 21-year-old second-year guard? Here's everything we know about Young's injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.

How long will Trae Young be out?

The Hawks announced after Friday's game that Young would not travel with the team for Saturday's game in Chicago vs. the Bulls. They also said Young's status will be "updated as appropriate."

Trae Young injury timeline

Young injured his right ankle on a drive to the basket late in the first half Dec. 27 vs. the Bucks. He was helped off the court and did not return.  

He will miss at least the Hawks' game Dec. 28 vs. the Bulls in Chicago.

"I rolled it pretty bad," Young told reporters, per AJC.com. "It hurts pretty bad right now but that’s to be expected. I came back here, got some treatment on it, iced it already."

Young also spoke of making a fast return. "I'll work my ass off to get back as quick as possible," he said, per AJC.com. "I did that with my last time and I'm going to do the same thing to get back as quick as possible."

Trae Young injury updates

— The initial diagnosis, as announced by the Hawks:

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.