Tough times.
The Atlanta Hawks released devastating news Wednesday, announcing that Jalen Johnson is set to undergo season-ending surgery. Averaging 18.9 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1 block, he was having the breakout year fans had come to expect.
Johnson sustained a shoulder injury on Jan. 23 in a game against the Toronto Raptors. The injury didn’t initially appear to be season-ending, but further evaluation confirmed otherwise. The Hawks lost that game and have dropped three more since, marking a six-game losing streak. This slide has dropped them from a hopeful 22-19 to 22-25, falling back below .500.
With Kobe Bufkin already out for the season and Zaccharie Risacher missing time, it was already obvious this Hawks team lacked depth. Vit Krejci is a starter, and they’ve been forced to rely on players like David Roddy, Keaton Wallace, Daeqwon Plowden, and Dominick Barlow. While each has stepped up when called upon, it’s not a sustainable formula for success over an NBA season.
Simply put, this roster isn’t very good. So where do they go from here?
One thing is clear: Trae Young wants to win. He has said it time and time again, and this Hawks team may have been capable of doing so at full strength. But at this point, that no longer seems realistic. It remains to be seen whether Young is comfortable throwing in the towel on another season and likely missing the playoffs.
It’s reasonable to assume that Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic could be on the move. Both have been in trade talks over the past few seasons, but now it’s more obvious than ever that the Hawks need to deal them for value. They’ve shown confidence in Onyeka Okongwu as the starter, and Bogdanovic has struggled. Coming off a season where he made a real run at the Sixth Man of the Year award, he’s averaging 10 points and shooting just 30% from deep in 24 games this season. The specifics of potential trade destinations and returns remain speculative for now.
What makes matters worse is that the Hawks can’t tank—they don’t own their 2025 first-round pick. That means they won’t be in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, eliminating any incentive to bottom out. The Hawks can still explore other options: trading veterans, allowing Risacher to develop, and making a splash in the offseason.
Regardless, the team needed more. They needed to fill the hole at backup point guard and build a roster capable of sustaining injuries while still winning games. Of course, season-ending injuries are different, but in an 82-game season, teams must be able to stay competitive even without key rotational players.
Twelve days ago, the Hawks defeated the Celtics in overtime to win their third straight game. Now, at three games below .500, things just got even bleaker.