Hawks' Trae Young Placed in NBA's Concussion Protocol After Injury vs. Cavs

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young has been placed in the NBA's concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in Saturday's 116-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Hawks head coach Quin Snyder told reporters on Saturday that Young was under evaluation for a concussion.

During the fourth quarter of Saturday's matchup, Young drew a charge from Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro and took a hit to the face before falling to the court in pain. He notched 15 points, one rebound and five assists before exiting.

Young is in the midst of a solid 2023-24 season. He entered Saturday's game averaging 27.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 10.9 assists in 38 games while shooting 42.1 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from deep.

The 25-year-old has been durable throughout his NBA career, appearing in at least 60 games each season since entering the league as a rookie in 2018-19. He has only missed three games this season, most recently Friday's win over the Miami Heat due to an illness.

If Young misses time moving forward, Dejounte Murray and De'Andre Hunter are among those expected to step up in his absence. Patty Mills and Kobe Bufkin also figure to see more playing time at the point.

The Hawks have struggled to an 18-24 record this season and sit 10th in the Eastern Conference. They'll need Young healthy if they hope to improve and be included among the teams vying for a playoff berth.