Johnson, star point guard Trae Young, defensive-minded swingman (and NBA steals leader) Dyson Daniels and rookie wing Zaccharie Risacher are Atlanta’s core players. For the rest of this season, however, the Hawks must soldier on without one of those four names.

Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson plans to have shoulder surgery and miss the remainder of the season, a major blow to the struggling Hawks’ efforts to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

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.