Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young reportedly sustained a right knee sprain during Wednesday night's 117-112 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, but thankfully, the injury has been confirmed not to involve his ACL. Head coach Quin Snyder shared the critical update after the game, stating, "The most important thing is it is not his ACL." Young is scheduled for an MRI either Wednesday night or Thursday to determine the full extent of the sprain and a more precise timeline for his return, though it is currently unclear how long he will be sidelined.

The incident occurred when Young, averaging 20.8 points and 9.5 assists per game, was positioned under the basket. Teammate Mouhamed Gueye was pushed by Nets forward Noah Clowney, causing Gueye to fall backward directly into Young's leg. Young immediately collapsed to the court in visible pain, remaining down for a period. Despite the discomfort, he eventually rose and jogged to the bench during a timeout, demonstrating his strong competitive spirit.

Although Young attempted to continue playing after the injury, Coach Snyder made the decision to remove him from the game just 17 seconds after play resumed, sending him to the locker room for evaluation. Snyder recounted Young's reluctance to leave the game, noting, "He didn't want to come out of the game. He's such a competitor. He takes a lot of pride in being available... He told me, 'Just give me a couple minutes,' and I told him, 'If I don't like what I see, I'm taking you out.'"

While the Hawks, now holding a 2-3 record, have avoided the most severe injury outcome for their key player, Young's probable absence for the foreseeable future presents a significant challenge. The team entered the season with high hopes following offseason acquisitions like Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard. However, replacing Young's unique ability to orchestrate the offense and his league-leading 11.6 assists per game from last season will be a substantial task.

Coach Snyder acknowledged the immediate adjustment required, particularly given Young's role as the primary ball-handler and offensive initiator. "Anytime a player of Trae's caliber, particularly someone that has the ball and is orchestrating situations on the offensive end, that's an adjustment we had to make on the fly," Snyder explained. The team's strategy to compensate will involve a collective effort, with players such as Alexander-Walker, Kennard, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson expected to contribute to playmaking. Snyder emphasized the need for the entire group to be "willing to play with the pass, and try to get advantages that way," highlighting a team-oriented approach to maintain offensive flow during Young's recovery.