Trae Young Assigned to G League as Return Nears: What It Means for the Hawks
Trae Young is officially on the comeback trail.
The Atlanta Hawks announced Tuesday that Young has been assigned to their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, marking his first step back into live basketball action since suffering a knee injury in just the fourth game of the season. Also heading to College Park is rookie big man N’Faly Dante, though all eyes are understandably on the All-Star guard’s return.
This move isn’t just procedural-it’s a clear signal that Young is nearing game readiness. Last week, there were reports suggesting he was “optimistic” about returning sometime in December. That timeline now looks spot-on.
Holding the Fort Without Their Star
In Young’s absence, the Hawks haven’t exactly fallen apart. They’ve gone 14-9 since he went down, staying competitive in a tightly packed Eastern Conference.
A big reason for that? Jalen Johnson.
The third-year forward has taken a major leap this season, flashing the kind of two-way potential that has Atlanta fans buzzing. Johnson’s emergence has added a new layer to the Hawks’ identity-less heliocentric, more balanced, and arguably more unpredictable. He’s shown he can be a focal point on both ends of the floor, and his development has sparked conversations about what the future of this team might look like, especially with Young returning to the fold.
A New Dynamic-or a New Direction?
That’s where things get interesting. With Johnson thriving and the offense finding a rhythm without Young dominating the ball, the question now becomes: how does this all fit together?
There’s no denying what Young brings to the table. He’s still one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, capable of turning a game with his shooting, vision, and ability to manipulate defenses. But the Hawks have been playing a different brand of basketball lately-more movement, more ball-sharing, and more defensive buy-in.
Can Young adapt to that style? Can the Hawks blend his high-usage brilliance with the newfound versatility they’ve discovered in his absence? That’s the puzzle Atlanta will be trying to solve over the next few months.
The Bigger Picture: Young’s Future in Atlanta
Beyond the X’s and O’s, there’s a larger storyline looming. Young holds a $49 million player option for next season, and he’s widely expected to decline it in search of a long-term max deal. He’s expressed a desire to stay in Atlanta, and the Hawks are in position to offer him the most lucrative contract on the table.
But make no mistake-how the team performs with Young back in the lineup could shape the front office’s thinking heading into the trade deadline and beyond. If the chemistry clicks and the wins keep piling up, extending Young becomes a no-brainer. But if the fit feels off, or if Johnson continues to shine in a larger role, Atlanta may have some tough decisions to make.
It’s been more than seven years since the Hawks made the bold move to trade Luka Dončić for Young on draft night. Since then, Young has delivered playoff heroics, All-Star appearances, and plenty of highlight-reel moments. Now, as he gears up for his return, the next chapter of that story is about to unfold-and it could be the most defining one yet.
For now, all signs point to Young suiting up again soon. When he does, the spotlight will be squarely on how he fits into a Hawks team that’s starting to find its stride without him.
The stakes? They couldn’t be higher.