Aaron Wiggins (knee) now probable vs. Miami

Injured during the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Pelicans, Johnson won’t play on Monday. It remains to be seen who replaces him in the starting lineup, but Aaron Wiggins could be in the mix. Whether he starts or not, Johnson’s absence should give Wiggins more chances to score.

Johnson had to leave Saturday’s loss to the Pelicans after the third quarter with a sprained left ankle. If he can’t play Monday, Aaron Wiggins could move into the starting lineup.

Johnson played the entire third quarter, but that would be the last we’d see of him on the court Saturday night. The Hawks forward sprained his left ankle, and while Johnson was questionable to return, he didn’t, as the game got out of hand. Atlanta’s four-game Week 3 begins on Monday against the Pacers and includes a back-to-back. If Johnson misses time, Aaron Wiggins (10/2/1/1/1 with two three-pointers) could become more important.

Wiggins continued to shine off the bench for Atlanta. He has scored in double figures in every game this season, and after being held to just 10 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Heat, he responded with a new season high for scoring in this one. He has been excellent in fantasy basketball thus far, mostly because he is averaging 3.0 triples per game and has hit at least two shots from beyond the arc in every game this season.

Wiggins is good to go after being listed as probable on the Hawks’ initial injury report. He’s averaging nearly 16 points per game so far, so managers in deeper leagues may get value from rostering Wiggins while he’s performing well.

Wiggins, who has averaged 15.8 points per game through four appearances, is dealing with a left knee contusion. If he can’t play on Wednesday, Corey Kispert could slide into the back end of the Hawks’ rotation.

The Man Who Saved Basketball has been fantastic for the Hawks this season. He fell out of the rotation in Oklahoma City but has been a key reserve early on for Atlanta this season. He has scored at least 15 points in every game and is averaging 17 points, 1.7 steals and 3.3 three-pointers per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the floor. As a backup, Wiggins may not be able to keep up this pace, but he should hold streaming appeal if he gets a spot start from time to time. For now, he’ll just continue to be a high-level backup.

Wiggins was feeling it as he dropped 19 points in 22 minutes off the bench in the preseason finale against the Mavericks. Despite the strong effort, this level of production is unlikely to carry over to the regular season given the crowded Hawks backcourt rotation.

With Jalen Johnson (rest) sitting, Wiggins moved into the starting lineup on Thursday. In addition to shooting 2-of-5 from three, the 6-foot-5 wing recorded a complete stat line in 24 minutes. In addition to Johnson, the Hawks didn’t have Luguentz Dort (knee) in San Antonio, so Wiggins had more opportunities to contribute than he’s likely to once the rotation is whole.

Consistently contending for an NBA championship gets expensive, especially in the current era. Oklahoma City holds team options on Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams, and the franchise also has to account for the extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren that will go into effect. Moving the remainder of Wiggins’ five-year, $45 million contract frees up some money, while the Hawks add a versatile forward whose opportunities decreased during the postseason. Wiggins had his moments of fantasy relevance with the Thunder, usually when the team was shorthanded. His fantasy outlook in Atlanta depends partially on what happens with Jonathan Kuminga, who has a team option for next season. To consummate the deal, Oklahoma City received Atlanta’s 2030 second-round pick and the least favorable of Atlanta or the Lakers’ 2032 second-round pick.