Woj: Trae Young to Return to Hawks from Injury amid NBA Play-In Race, Trade Rumors

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young could return "as soon as" Wednesday night's game against the Charlotte Hornets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Young last played Feb. 23 before undergoing surgery on a torn ligament in his left pinkie on Feb. 27.

The Hawks announced Monday that Young had been cleared to return to practice, per ESPN.

Young's return could help the Hawks in their bid to climb into the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The news also comes amid rumors that the Hawks are considering trading the three-time All-Star.

Young led the Hawks with 19.3 points and 10.8 assists per game in 51 starts prior to his surgery. His 553 assists so far this season still rank as the eighth-most among all NBA players despite his extended absence.

The Hawks have marked a 12-11 record in the six weeks since Young's injury, a slate good enough to hold onto the final play-in spot in the East despite a late push from the Brooklyn Nets.

Those 12 wins have been in large part due to elevated play from Bogdan Bogdanović, who has increased his scoring average to 16.5 points and 3.9 assists per game in 24 games and 22 starts while joining the starting five in Young's absence.

The Hawks are still notably less of an offensive threat without Young. This season the team has averaged 122.1 points per game in 51 games with Young, a total that falls to 112.2 points per game without him, per StatMuse.

His return will give the Hawks a higher chance of home-court advantage during the upcoming play-in round.

Atlanta heads into Wednesday night's game one game back of overtaking the Chicago Bulls for the play-in advantage, and potentially a better shot at earning the No. 8 seed in the East.

The Hawks have three games remaining in the regular season, with road contests against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers scheduled for Friday and Sunday.

The team will hope Young is able to return for at least one of these regular-season games both to help the Hawks with the hunt for the No. 9 seed, and to make sure he doesn't start out the playoff bid cold.

Whether the Hawks make it past the play-in round this season could determine Young's future with in Atlanta. The team hasn't made it past the first round since its conference finals bid in 2021, and another early exit could lead to the Hawks considering major roster changes.