Young's quad injury sidelines him again, impacting playoff hopes and amplifying trade noise as the struggling Hawks face the Pelicans.
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young will not be on the floor Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, but his absence continues to loom large over the team hosts the New Orleans Pelicans amid mounting trade speculation and growing urgency in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Atlanta ruled Young out with a right quad contusion, marking his sixth consecutive missed game. The four-time All-Star has played only six games since returning from a right MCL sprain that sidelined him for 21 contests, and his continued absence comes as league-wide chatter intensifies ahead of the Feb. 4 trade deadline.
The Hawks enter the interconference matchup at 17-21, trying to stabilize a season that has slipped in recent weeks. Atlanta has dropped nine of its last 11 games, including a two-game sweep in Toronto over the weekend, and currently sits 10th in the Eastern Conference, narrowly ahead of Milwaukee by percentage points.
Monday’s 118-110 loss to the Raptors again underscored Atlanta’s thin margin for error without Young. Onyeka Okongwu delivered 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Zaccharie Risacher added 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, with all of his scoring coming after halftime. Still, the Hawks were unable to close out stretches on either end of the floor.
New Orleans arrives in Atlanta with an 8-30 record after a 111-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, making Wednesday the second half of a back-to-back. The Pelicans have lost eight straight games since a brief five-game surge in early December and now own the second-worst record in the NBA.
Trey Murphy III was the clear bright spot in Tuesday’s loss, erupting for a career-high 42 points and five rebounds. Murphy has scored 69 points over his last two games after missing time earlier this month with back soreness, though his availability remains uncertain.
The Pelicans listed Murphy as questionable with low back spasms, while Herb Jones is also questionable with right ankle soreness. Saddiq Bey has been ruled out with a right hip flexor strain, Jose Alvarado remains sidelined with left oblique soreness, and Dejounte Murray continues to recover from a torn Achilles.
Atlanta’s injury report extends beyond Young. Okongwu is listed as questionable due to illness and could miss his first game since Nov. 22. N’Faly Dante remains out while recovering from a torn ACL. If Okongwu is unable to go, Kristaps Porzingis and Mouhamed Gueye are expected to take on expanded frontcourt roles, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker is likely to continue starting alongside Dyson Daniels in the backcourt.
Beyond the standings, Wednesday’s game carries added significance for Atlanta. The Hawks control New Orleans’ unprotected first-round pick, acquired during the 2025 draft when Atlanta selected Derik Queen at No. 13 and immediately traded his rights to the Pelicans. Every Pelicans loss improves Atlanta’s draft position.
Queen has been a steady contributor in New Orleans, averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a rookie.
Atlanta continues to lean heavily on Jalen Johnson, who has emerged as the team’s engine during Young’s absence. Johnson is averaging 23.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists and leads all Eastern Conference players with 25 double-doubles.
Risacher’s development has also been a recent bright spot. The No. 1 overall pick in 2024 has shown increasing defensive engagement while growing more assertive offensively.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder highlighted Risacher’s approach after Monday’s loss.
“You can be aggressive in a lot of ways,” Snyder said. “He threw himself into the game on the defensive end and got rewarded for it.”
Atlanta won the first meeting between the teams 115-98 on Nov. 22 in New Orleans and has taken four of the last five matchups overall. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST at State Farm Arena, with both teams navigating injuries, uncertainty and, for the Hawks, the growing shadow of decisions still to come.