Last week, during a game against the Raptors, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson exited the game early in the second quarter with a left shoulder injury. Atlanta will now be without him for the rest of the season due to a torn labrum. He sustained the injury while fouling Scottie Barnes and left the court immediately.

The Hawks addressed Johnson’s injury from last week with the following statement:

“Forward Jalen Johnson left Thursday night’s game vs. Toronto after sustaining a left shoulder injury during the second quarter. He will be listed as out as he undergoes further medical testing and evaluation. His injury and status will be updated as appropriate.”

This is a significant setback for the Hawks, who sit at 22-25 and remain in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings at ninth seed. Johnson has been a vital piece for Atlanta this season, averaging nearly 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists through 36 games. He leads the team in rebounding and is third in scoring behind Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter.

Johnson was sidelined earlier this month due to shoulder inflammation but returned to action on Jan. 18. He played four games before suffering another shoulder injury on Jan. 23 against the Raptors, forcing him back out of the lineup.

With Johnson out, Zaccharie Risacher is expected to play a bigger role, though he’s still finding his footing in the NBA, averaging only 10.5 points. Hunter, the team’s second-leading scorer with 19.1 points per game, will likely become the primary scoring option behind Young.

Atlanta is currently on a six-game losing streak and will look to snap it on Thursday when they face the 37-9 Cavaliers on the road.

Prior to the season, Johnson and the Hawks reached an agreement on a five-year, $150 million contract extension.

Duke freshman and projected lottery pick Jalen Johnson is opting out of the rest of the college season and getting ready to declare for the NBA Draft.

An official press release from Duke confirmed that the forward would forgo the rest of the season to prepare for the NBA draft. “I appreciate everything about my time at Duke,” Johnson said in the press release. “My family, coach, and I have made the decision that I should not play the remainder of this season so I can be 100 percent healthy in preparation for the NBA Draft.”

Johnson played a great game during his college debut against Coppin State. In his first game with Duke, he posted 19 points, 19 rebounds and five assists. Two days after his debut game, he earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for his debut performance. The young forward suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for three games. Once he returned, he was delegated to come off the bench and removed from the starting lineup. In the last three games, he came off the bench and played limited minutes. The forward only played a combined 23 minutes over the last two games. In his final game with the team, he scored just three points in eight minutes. In 13 games, Johnson averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

This is not the first time that the forward did not complete a full season. The last time that Johnson played a full season was in his junior year of high school. In his senior year, he left IMG Academy before playing in a single game with the team before playing nine games with Nicolet High School.