Trae Young out for Hawks vs. Knicks on Christmas Day for COVID-19 Protocols

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young did not clear the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols in time to play Saturday's Christmas Day road game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shared the team's list of players who will be sidelined:

Young has been durable in the early portion of his career and appeared in at least 60 games in each of his first three seasons, even though two of them were shortened from the traditional 82-game schedule.

The 23-year-old is one of the league's top rising young stars and led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals last season while averaging 25.3 points, 9.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The Oklahoma product has followed up with averages of 27.3 points and 9.3 assists through 29 appearances in 2021-22.

Young is the on-floor leader for Atlanta, and it will be hard-pressed to compete with the best teams in the league if he isn't healthy. Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins figure to be the Hawks' offensive focal points in his absence.