After languishing in the NBA's health and safety protocols for the past 10 days, Trae Young returns to the Atlanta Hawks lineup tonight. Young missed the Hawks' past three games, but his return couldn't come at a better time, as Atlanta is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak within their organization.
Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young has been cleared from Covid protocols and will return vs. the Chicago Bulls tonight, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 27, 2021
The Hawks are down nine players, the majority of which are working through the NBA's virus protocols, leaving them shorthanded against the Chicago Bulls.
Young will be a welcome presence, as he's been the Hawks' most valuable player so far this season. The former All-Star paces the team in points and assists with 27.3 and 9.3, respectively, adding 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game.
Delon Wright's usage would have taken a hit with Young back; however, the veteran guard entered league protocols on Monday. That means there will be a steady diet of Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic in the Hawks backcourt against the Bulls.
FanDuel Sportsbook priced the Hawks as +142 home underdogs on the moneyline and +3.5 on the spread for their Monday night encounter.
