3:05pm: The Hawks have put out a press release officially confirming that Johnson will undergo season-ending surgery next week to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder and stating that he’s expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2025/26 season.
9:40am: Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Confirming the report, Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) says Johnson will undergo surgery to repair the tear.
Johnson sustained the injury last Thursday in the second quarter of a game vs. Toronto while defending Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (video link).
It’s an extremely unfortunate turn of events for the Hawks and for Johnson, who had averaged 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 block in 35.7 minutes per game so far this season.
The fourth-year forward, who made 50.0% of his shots from the field in 36 outings this season, looked like a borderline All-Star candidate and a contender for Most Improved Player votes.
Johnson was a key contributor for an Atlanta team that exceeded expectations in the first half of the season. Given an over/under of 35.5 wins by oddsmakers entering the season, the Hawks were 22-19 at the midway point. However, they’ve lost their last six games in a row and now sit ninth in the Eastern Conference at 22-25.
While they still look like a strong candidate to be a play-in team, not having Johnson for the rest of the season will put a damper on the Hawks’ chances of making the playoffs. It could also impact how the front office approaches the trade deadline, though the team doesn’t control its own first-round pick, which will be sent to San Antonio, and won’t be motivated to lose games.
With Johnson unavailable for the rest of the season, the Hawks figure to lean more heavily on forwards Zaccharie Risacher and De’Andre Hunter, with David Roddy and Larry Nance Jr. among the reserves who could move up the depth chart and see more regular playing time. However, as Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks tweets, there’s no one on the roster capable of stepping in and replicating what Johnson did for the club on both ends of the floor.
Atlanta won’t be eligible to apply for a disabled player exception to replace Johnson, since the deadline to request a DPE was January 15.
Johnson would have been eligible for restricted free agency this coming season if he hadn’t agreed to terms on a rookie scale extension with the Hawks just ahead of the October deadline. He signed a five-year, $150MM deal that will go into effect for the 2025/26 season.
Huge loss for Atlanta
That’s tough, especially as they have no incentive to tank with the Spurs owning their pick, and they are barely in the play-in hunt now. Should be interesting to see what they do at the deadline.
Damn this sucks. I was really looking forward to see him emerge for that team after the extension.
Now OO can switch to the PF starter full time (6’8). Start Hunter at SF. Let the number #1 pick guy be the sixth man. Trade Capela, Bufkin (Nance if needed) and Roddy with picks for a all star C the same age as Trae
Atleast the Hawks have the Kings pick and Lakers pick this year. 13 and 22 respectively right now. Only thing that’s a negative is the Kings pick is top 12 protected, so Hawks wouldn’t be able to move up in the draft order.
Trade Capela and the kings first round pick they own back to the kings for DeRozan and 2 second round picks
Trae Daniel’s DeRozan Hunter Okungwu
Risacher the sixth man with Bogdanovic and Nance
Keeps the Hawks season alive.
Kings get back their first which makes trading Fox and tanking more worthwhile. They get rid of a long term deal for an expiring one.
Raz – about those picks…
It’s interesting to consider that if Kings trade Fox (which they are trying hard to do), it’s likely it’ll be for a combination of draft capital and current NBA players that provide less value than Fox…which will likely lower Kings draft status this year.
That’s why I think Orlando has the best player package for Fox. I think they’re not as worried for picks as it is for talent equated to Fox with cheaper players.
Raz – I’m curious why you think Orlando would move off Suggs for Fox?
IMO, culturally and leadership-wise, Suggs is the most important player on that team. He’ll never be the scorer that Fox is, but I think he’s a better fit. Plus, Suggs will be much cheaper than Fox for the next 5 years, which is important to enabling the big contract they’ll have to give Banchero.
Why not just play both in the backcourt? Feels like they would complement each other really well?
Not enough money to pay both Fox and Suggs.
In two years, Banchero and Wagner will each be making $45M/yr, Suggs will make $35M/yr. That’s roughly $125M/yr.
Fox will be making $50M/yr. But not on Orlando.
All’s fox has to say is ‘I don’t want to be in Orlando’ and that’s the end of that. Not giving up key pieces for a guy who can walk in 18 months. Orlando have built a nice roster that’ll get better going forward. Legitimate threat in years to come.
Sucks for the Hawks. I really think they have something going with the current core. They need an upgrade at C and back up guard but their wing rotation and starting backcourt is solid.
Sidenote: how bad does Dejounte Murray look between his time in Atlanta and now the atrocious basketball being played in New Orleans? Both have the similarity of a total lack of ball movement. Another team he has gone to that plays your turn my turn with him out there.
I’m interested to see what ATL does at the deadline. Unlike some other teams, they can’t respond to this setback by tanking the rest of the way (as they don’t own their FRP). They will likely make some kind of move. Either to patch up the rotation with some temporary help, or to help the balance sheet going forward by trading off vets like Capella and perhaps even Bogo.
Capella is expiring….
Understood. It looked like they were going to keep him with OO, and actually try to win. Do they reverse course and try to trade him now that JJ has been hurt? It does not appear that they see him on the team next year.
Dont think they ever had a buyer out there for a 20 m Capela even before Jj inj
Vu or Val would probably be better at the price points and I don’t even know if there’s enough open chairs for them when the music stops
My guess has always been hold, tell him to go test his market (little), then watch him come crawling back at 10 per or even less withy no more thann a 2 yr commitment (Id even be pushing for a 1+1 team option )
Atl can probably do 2 outta the 3 next summer resign Nance -Capela- -Full MLE
The salary is prohibitive for his skill set, and the current CBA doesn’t give teams many chances to wing it on that front.
NYK can’t actually trade for anyone. But if Capela were bought out under the old CBA (where any released player could sign with any other team), I would make him the NYK’s #1 target on that market.
Atlanta offers Capela, Bufkin, (Nance if needed) and Roddy with picks of sorts for either Ayton or Nic Claxton?
Big loss for Hawks. He was having a great yr.
Get well player ……