Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey has suffered a season-ending torn left ACL upon review of further imagine done on Monday morning, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bey left Sunday night's 116-103 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a hyperextended left knee, and he did not return to action. Further testing and the MRI he had done on Monday confirmed his injury to be a torn ACL, which is a tough break for the Hawks and the 24-year-old forward.
In the midst of a contract year, Bey is now prepared to enter the offseason as a restricted free agent who could miss all of the 2024-25 season. The Hawks will be able to present him with a qualifying offer worth roughly $6.5 million.
Bey, 24, was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Hawks during the 2022-23 season. Immediately, he established himself as a key offensive weapon on the wing in Atlanta. This season, Bey played in 63 total games, starting in 51 of them. He averaged 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the floor and a career-low 31.6 percent from three-point range.
As a result of this knee injury, Bey's future with the Hawks is now very much in question. The Hawks have been evaluating their future as an organization since the trade deadline. After holding onto the likes of Dejounte Murray and others this season, Atlanta now has major decisions to make in the offseason as they look to cut down on their long-term costs. This injury for Bey may result in management taking a long look at his future with the team.
With Saddiq Bey out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, as well as forward Jalen Johnson sidelined due to an ankle injury, the Hawks will now likely turn to De'Andre Hunter, Garrison Mathews, and possibly AJ Griffin for the rest of the season.
The Hawks are currently 29-35 on the season, 3.5 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets for the final play-in tournament spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.