The Los Angeles Lakers could be the rare beneficiaries of a clash against a team that’s even more injured than they are on Saturday night.
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Per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks, four key Atlanta players have already been ruled out for LA’s forthcoming road matchup. Two more might also be on the shelf come game time.
Hawks injury report for tonight vs. Lakers:
NAW (low back strain) is questionable.
Jalen Johnson (right quad contusion) is questionable.
Luke Kennard (illness) is out.
Kristaps Porzingis (illness management) is out.
Nikola Đurišić (elbow) is out.
Trae Young remains out.
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) November 8, 2025
Four-time All-Star Hawks point guard Trae Young will miss the next four weeks or so of action as he recovers from a right knee MCL sprain. One-time All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis, the club’s shiny new trade acquisition thanks to a summer Boston Celtics salary dump, is unavailable while he manages an injury. Rookie small forward Nikola Djurisic is grappling with a sprained right elbow.
Atlanta could be without a pair of key free agent wings signings, ex-Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Nickeil Alexander-Walker and former Memphis Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard. Alexander-Walker is questionable with a sprained left ankle, while Kennard has already been ruled out with an illness of his own.
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Forward Jalen Johnson, seen by many as the club’s Next Big Thing of the future, is questionable to play through a right quadriceps contusion. Two-way player Eli John Ndiaye will be putting in reps with Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, per the league’s latest injury report.
The Lakers, of course, have their own health woes. 21-time All-NBA power forward LeBron James has yet to suit up for a single contest this season due to a sciatica injury on his right side. Shooting guard Austin Reaves will miss a third consecutive game with a lingering groin injury.
Rookie forward Adou Thiero, the No. 36 out of Arkansas, continues to recover from a left knee surgery. Defense-first point guard Gabe Vincent continues to sit out due to a sprained left ankle. Backup center Maxi Kleber, who can’t seem to stay healthy, is questionable thanks to an abdominal muscle strain.
The Hawks, expected to rank among the Eastern Conference’s top teams, have had a rough go of it thus far thanks in part to Young’s availability issues. The team has gotten off to an uninspiring 4-5 season start, and is currently just the No. 9 seed in the conference.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, appears to be outperforming its preseason expectations, even while dealing with significant injury absences. The Lakers are riding high on a five-game win streak, and are 7-2 on the year having been forced to trot out seven different starting lineups.
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