Bold headline: Kristaps Porzingis sidelined for two weeks with illness as Trae Young eyes a comeback.
Atlanta Hawks will be without Kristaps Porzingis for the next two weeks, the team announced on Sunday. Porzingis has missed seven of the last eight games due to an illness and will undergo ongoing evaluations through late December. In the meantime, he’ll be limited in basketball activity while doctors monitor his progress and decide the next steps.
Porzingis last appeared on Dec. 5, contributing 25 points in the Hawks’ narrow 134-133 defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
The Hawks acquired Porzingis in a three-team deal reached on June 24 involving the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. He previously spent two seasons with Boston, where he helped the Celtics capture the 2024 NBA title.
In a parallel development, Atlanta is also preparing for a return of Trae Young. The star guard is nearing his comeback after sustaining a right MCL sprain in a late-October game in Brooklyn. The team confirmed that Young is increasing his reconditioning work and is expected to return to practice next week.
Young, a four-time NBA All-Star and former All-NBA Third Team (2022), also claimed the 2019 All-Rookie First Team honor. He led the league in assists this past season (880 total) and averaged 11.6 assists per game, setting a Hawks franchise record for assists in 2024-25.
As the Hawks navigate these absences and a potential return, questions loom about how the team will balance rotation minutes, bench depth, and the impact on their playoff push. Will Porzingis’ two-week layoff give him ample time to fully recover, or does it risk disrupting Atlanta’s rhythm? And with Young nearing action, how will coach decisions shape the lineup and scoring reliability in the coming weeks?
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