The Hawks may be getting a key piece back just in time for Saturday’s matchup with Brooklyn. Jalen Johnson is listed as probable, according to Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com, after missing the last three games with a left ankle sprain.
Atlanta has been piecing things together up front while Johnson has been out. Backup center Jock Landale is set to miss a fourth straight game Saturday with a left hip strain, and the team announced Friday that Asa Newell will be sidelined for at least two weeks because of a left great toe injury.
That patchwork frontcourt has opened the door for first-round pick Zuby Ejiofor, and he’s made the most of it. Over the last three games, the former St. John’s standout has averaged 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 62.5% from the field in 15.7 minutes per game.
If Johnson is cleared to return, Quin Snyder may have to reshuffle the rotation again. Luguentz Dort, who had his best outing as a Hawk on Friday, could slide back to the bench. In Atlanta’s win over Washington, he posted 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, along with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 32 minutes.
Around the league, Pacers guard T.J. McConnell is in line for a possible season debut Saturday against Denver.
He has missed the first nine games of 2026/27 with a right hamstring strain and is questionable for the Mexico City game, per the team. Indiana also listed free agent addition Kelly Oubre Jr. as questionable because of a left calf contusion.
Dallas got Santi Aldama back on the floor Friday, and the big man wasted no time making an impact in his 2026/27 debut against Utah. It was his first game since March, when he underwent right knee surgery. Acquired from Memphis in a multi-team trade this summer, Aldama finished with eight points and nine rebounds in 13 minutes.
“ Just honestly happy to be out there,” said Aldama, who had eight points and nine rebounds in 13 minutes. “ It just felt so good to feel the energy of an NBA game and just be out there.
But yeah, just trying to impact the game as soon as I got there. I haven’t even, like, practiced with these guys, like Coop (Cooper Flagg), Kai (Kyrie Irving), P.J.
(Washington). I’ve done some walkthrough with the second unit, but not the first.
So I’m like, the only way where we can find some common ground is playing hard, and just credit to them just making me feel welcome. We don’t have, quote unquote, chemistry because we’ve never been together, and it just seemed seamless for me.
So it was just an amazing experience.”
Dusty May called Aldama an “elite connector” and praised his cutting, decision-making and versatility.
Minnesota also had an injury scare Friday night, as second-year center Joan Beringer left the win in New Orleans with a nasal fracture. The team said it’s unclear whether the 2025 first-round pick will miss more time.
In Other News...
Nets Still Have A Rookie Availability Problem After Hawks Win
Brooklyns rookie rotation remains in flux as the Nets head into their next game against Dallas, with two young players still unavailable after the Hawks game left the broader picture unchanged. Egor Demin is dealing with a right leg bone bruise, while the team is also managing Mikel Brown Jr. carefully as it tries to balance development with availability early in the season.
The short-term outlook is still a waiting game. Demin will be reevaluated after the Mavericks matchup, and Browns workload remains limited as Brooklyn continues to ease him along, leaving the Nets to piece together their backcourt depth for now. Both players are viewed as possible options for the next game against New Orleans, but for the moment the rookie availability issue is still very much in play. [Read more 🡒]
Trae Youngs Atlanta Return Brought A Reaction Hawks Fans Will Debate
The early-season noise around the Southeast Division has not exactly been kind to Miami, where Andrew Wiggins has gone from a strong preseason to a rough opening stretch that has left him producing career lows in most of the usual categories. The Heat have stumbled out of the gate as a team, and Erik Spoelstra has already acknowledged Wiggins struggles while still making clear he believes the veteran wing can climb out of them.
Elsewhere in the division, Atlanta had its own moment of conversation when Trae Young came back to the city and drew a reaction from the crowd that was impossible to ignore, even if it was not the kind of reception Hawks fans will agree on. The storyline around the Hawks is already branching in a few directions, with rookie Kingston Flemings earning praise for his speed from teammates as the team continues sorting out what this season is going to look like. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rotation Debate Just Got More Complicated After Trae Youngs Return
Trae Youngs return has already complicated the Hawks rotation choices, and the NBA Cup game against the Wizards only added another layer to the discussion. Atlanta got useful minutes from a few different places, with Dyson Daniels doing a little of everything, Onyeka Okongwu providing a double-double, and the lineup looking anything but settled as the team tried to sort out how its pieces fit together.
Luguentz Dorts night as a starting power forward stood out as one of the more unusual developments, while CJ McCollum had a rough offensive showing off the bench and Newell was unavailable because of an ankle injury. The Hawks still found a way to lean on defense and timely plays in the closing stretch, but the bigger question now is how this rotation looks once everyone is available and the coaching staff has to make even tougher calls. [Read more 🡒]