Trae Young took a nasty hit to the knee from a falling Mouhamed Gueye with just over two minutes to go in the first quarter. Gueye was pushed by Noah Clowney, who was clearing space into the paint.
Trae Young tried to stay in the game but left after a few seconds of game action to the locker room after this collision with Mo Gueye. pic.twitter.com/m23RBXukCO
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) October 30, 2025
Young and Gueye remained down for a few moments, but Young would stay down into the commercial break as Quin Snyder unsuccessfully challenged the call. After Clowney shot a pair of free throws, Young was visibly shaken as Nickeil Alexander-Walker brought the ball up the floor. He gave a signal to Snyder on the sideline, then walked off the court to the locker room with visible frustration. The Hawks would call a timeout to replace Young with a fifth player.
Hawks PR would rule Young out minutes later, citing a “right knee sprain.” Don’t read too much into this diagnosis, however, as this was likely an intentionally vague label to give fans an update before diving into the testing and imaging processes.
Hawks fans are holding their breath as the Hawks work on a detailed diagnosis
This is the ultimate nightmare for the Hawks.
The injury did not look pretty. Gueye hit Young directly on the side of the knee, one of the most vulnerable areas of the body. There is essentially no body fat to cushion the impact, leaving the knee to take the full brunt of the impact. While it is too early to know for sure (and I am certainly no expert), this type of contact injury is the kind that makes me hold my breath.
If Trae Young is out for serious time, the season could be over today.
This team was made for Trae Young to lead. Without Young, Atlanta has no players whose primary role is point guard, regardless of official position. While fans and analysts may argue over Young’s contract value and the practicality of giving a fringe All-Star a max, there is no denying his importance to this team.
Jalen Johnson, Luke Kennard, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Vit Krejci are the obvious candidates to replace Young’s creation. None of these players are even close to Young in this department, however. Johnson would shoulder the lion’s share of the load, but he is a much more capable operator after an advantage has been created (i.e. in transition or off a drive and kick from Young).
The Hawks do have an open roster spot, which could be used to acquire a “traditional” point guard to help the team keep its head above water if the situation leads to an extended absence.
We wish Young the best and dearly hope there are no long-term consequences.