What the Mouhamed Geuye injury news means for the Atlanta Hawks

Mouhamed Gueye is going to be out for a number of months after a recent injury, how will this affect the Hawks?

Mar 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) on the court before the game against the Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The season has not even started yet, but the Atlanta Hawks are already receiving bad injury news concerning one of their top defensive players. The team announced yesterday that forward Mouhamed Gueye sustained a fractured left foot in a workout and would be re-evaluated in 3-4 months.

"During a workout on Wednesday, July 8, forward Mouhamed Gueye sustained a left foot injury. Following an MRI and evaluation, Gueye was diagnosed with a fractured left foot. He underwent surgery yesterday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex to repair the fracture and will be re-evaluated in three-to-four months."

This news is unfortunate for the news, even if it is coming a few months before training camp, much less the season. Gueye is a young forward who has grown in each of the previous three seasons and has a chance to really step forward as a part of the Hawks rotation in the 2026-2027 season.

So what does this mean for Gueye and the Hawks?

Breaking down the impact

Jan 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) shoots against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jalen Johnson is going to be the starting power forward for the Atlanta Hawks this season, everyone knows that, but how does the depth shake out behind him?

While Jonathan Kuminga was not a traditional power forward, more of a SF/PF hybrid player, he could take some of the minutes behind Johnson. However Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent after the Hawks declined his team option for next season, though a return for Kuminga has not been ruled out.

That leaves Gueye, second-year forward Asa Newell, and rookie Zuby Ejiofor as the front-court players behind Johnson. Gueye has a huge edge in experience over the other two and looked like he was going to have a chance to step up and take control of the backup spot behind Johnson.

Because this injury has happened in July instead of November or December, that is still a possibility, but when Gueye returns is a bit of a mystery now. The news release said that Gueye would be re-evaluated in 3-4 months. Re-evaluated does not automatically mean that he is going to return to action on the court in that time frame.

If it ends up being three months until Gueye is able to be back, that would put his return right at the start of next season in October. If it is November until he is re-evaluated, than it will mean that Gueye is out until Mid-November, when the season will be nearly a month old.

It does seem certain that Gueye is going to miss training camp and the preseason and even for a player heading into his fourth season, those are valuable reps that he is going to be missing.

This injury and its timetable are going to open the door for Newell or Ejiofor to push for more playing time.

Newell played in 44 games last season for the Hawks and averaged 5.2 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 11.4 MPG while shooting 54% from the field and 39% from three. Newell played in 15 games at the G-League level and averaged 22.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG while shooting 57% from the field and 38% from three in over 32 minutes per game.

Newell has had a solid Summer League in Las Vegas, though not as dominant as some were hoping, and he should see an increase in minutes slightly during the preseason and perhaps the regular season if Gueye is not back.

Ejiofor has been the talk of the Hawks summer league and the rookie has shown that he might be ready for a role sooner than expected. In two games in Las Vegas Summer League, Ejiofor is averaging 12.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.5 APG on 39% shooting from the field and 43% from three. His defense has also been impressive and was one of the reasons the Hawks opted to draft him at No. 23.

Gueye will be back at some point this season, though this news is unfortunate for him. It opens a slight door for Newell or Ejiofor to get more meaningful reps and practice, which could lead to them gaining on Gueye when it comes to minutes during the season.