The Hawks have listed Jalen Johnson as probable to suit up for Saturday’s game vs. Brooklyn, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com. Johnson, who made his first All-Star and All-NBA (third team) appearances last season, has missed the last three games with a left ankle sprain.

Atlanta has been shorthanded in the frontcourt as of late. Backup center Jock Landale will miss his fourth straight game Saturday due to a left hip strain and the team announced Friday that Asa Newell is out at least two weeks due to a left great toe injury.

The injuries have created a rotation opening for first-round pick Zuby Ejiofor and the former St. John’s star has taken advantage of his opportunity, averaging 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 62.5% from the field over the last three games (15.7 minutes per contest).

With Johnson likely to return tonight, head coach Quin Snyder might move Luguentz Dort back to a reserve role. The veteran forward had his best game as a Hawk on Friday, notching 25 points (on 9-of-15 shooting), seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 32 minutes during the win over Washington.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

• Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell could make his season debut on Saturday against Denver. McConnell, who has missed the first nine games of 2026/27 due to a right hamstring strain, is questionable to suit up for the game in Mexico City, per the team (Twitter link). Free agent addition Kelly Oubre Jr. is also questionable with a left calf contusion.
• Mavericks forward/center Santi Aldama made his 2026/27 debut in Friday’s win over Utah, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Sports Journal. It was the Spanish big man’s first game since March, when he underwent right knee surgery. Dallas acquired Aldama from Memphis this summer in a multi-team trade. “Just honestly happy to be out there,” said Aldama, who had eight points and nine rebounds in 13 minutes. “It just felt so good to feel the energy of an NBA game and just be out there. But yeah, just trying to impact the game as soon as I got there. I haven’t even, like, practiced with these guys, like Coop (Cooper Flagg), Kai (Kyrie Irving), P.J. (Washington). I’ve done some walkthrough with the second unit, but not the first. So I’m like, the only way where we can find some common ground is playing hard, and just credit to them just making me feel welcome. We don’t have, quote unquote, chemistry because we’ve never been together, and it just seemed seamless for me. So it was just an amazing experience.” Head coach Dusty May called Aldama an “elite connector” and praised his cutting, decision-making and versatility, Afseth adds.
• Second-year Timberwolves center Joan Beringer was forced out of Friday’s win in New Orleans after suffering a nasal fracture, the team announced (via Twitter). It’s unclear if Beringer, a 2025 first-round pick, will miss additional time as a result of the injury.