PORTLAND, Ore. — The Hawks announced Wednesday afternoon ahead of their game against the Trail Blazers that wing Bogdan Bogdanovic is dealing with an illness.
The team listed Bogdanovic as probable to play, but there‘s no telling how the illness could impact him.
The Hawks also upgraded forward Jalen Johnson from out to doubtful for the game. The likelihood of Johnson suiting up Wednesday remain low but it marks a significant step in the 22-year-old’s return to action.
Johnson had been day-to-day after he sprained his right ankle in the team’s matchup against the Cavaliers last week. With the team upgrading him to doubtful, he could return to the Hawks rotation at some point on their 10-day, five-game West Coast trip.
The Hawks have been short-handed as of late with the absence of Trae Young, who recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his fifth left finger. Young already had been ruled out for at least four weeks before team medical staff would re-evaluate him.
The team also has been without center Onyeka Okongwu for the past nine games because of a left big toe sprain. Okongwu recently transitioned out of a walking boot, and the team should re-evaluate him in the coming days.
The Hawks also have been without rookie Kobe Bufkin, who also is nursing a left big toe sprain and had been placed in a walking boot for 10 days. Per the team’s recent update on Bufkin, it should be re-evaluating him in the coming days, as well.
Young, Okongwu and Bufkin have been ruled out for Wednesday’s game.
The Hawks will be without Saddiq Bey for the remainder of the season after team medical staff diagnosed him with a torn ACL.
The return of Johnson and eventually Okongwu and Bufkin would alleviate the lack of depth the Hawks have with Bey’s absence. Both Johnson and Okongwu could split minutes at power forward. Johnson also could fill minutes at small forward.
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