NBA: Trae Young Traded to Washington Wizards
The Atlanta Hawks have traded four-time All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. In return, the Hawks will acquire CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert from the Wizards.
Implications for the Wizards
This transaction concludes Young's tenure as a primary player for the Hawks after more than seven seasons. The 27-year-old guard will now join the Wizards, where he is expected to assume a leading role. Washington's officials, Michael Winger and Will Dawkins, have been seeking a central player for the team's ongoing development. The trade also reunites Young with Wizards executive Travis Schlenk, who was instrumental in bringing Young to Atlanta during the 2018 NBA draft.
Financially, the acquisition of Young will position the Wizards approximately $30 million below the luxury tax threshold. This move also opens a roster spot and clears $46 million in cap space for the upcoming summer. Discussions regarding a contract extension for Young are not immediately anticipated, with both parties planning to assess his health upon his arrival in Washington. Young has $95 million remaining on his current contract through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option.
Young has been sidelined recently due to a right quad contusion, missing the past six games. Earlier in the season, he managed residual pain from a right MCL sprain. The Wizards' guard rotation has contributed an average of 50.0 points and 11.9 assists per game this season, ranking sixth and fourth lowest in the league, respectively. The team currently holds a 10-26 record, placing them 14th in the Eastern Conference, and ranks 27th in offensive efficiency. The Wizards last reached the playoffs in the 2020-21 season.
Implications for the Hawks
The Hawks are initiating a new phase with players such as Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher. McCollum provides veteran experience and possesses a $30.6 million expiring contract.
This trade offers Atlanta increased financial flexibility to pursue significant contracts in the coming months, with Dallas Mavericks player Anthony Davis identified as a potential target. Additionally, the Hawks hold a valuable first-round pick in June, which will be the more favorable selection between those belonging to New Orleans and Milwaukee.
The Hawks currently stand at 18-21, placing them ninth in the Eastern Conference. The team had a 2-8 record in games with Young in the lineup. Discussions between Young's agents (Aaron Mintz, Drew Morrison, and Austin Brown) and Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh regarding a trade progressed over the past week, following earlier communications about Young's future after the franchise did not offer him a contract extension.
Young is the Hawks' all-time leader in 3-pointers with 1,295 and assists with 4,837. He led Atlanta to three postseason appearances, including a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021. Okongwu is the sole remaining player on the Hawks' roster from that 2021 team.
Player Statistics and Historical Context
In 10 games this season, Young averaged 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.5 rebounds, shooting 41.5% from the field and 30.5% from 3-point range in 28 minutes per game. His career averages are 25.2 points and 9.8 assists. He led the league in assists last season with 11.6 per game. Young has achieved two seasons averaging 25 points and 10 assists, which ties him with Russell Westbrook for the second-most such seasons in NBA history; Oscar Robertson leads with five. Young's career average of 48.1 points scored or assisted per game ranks second in NBA history, behind Luka Doncic (48.9).
Young is the second player since the 1976-77 NBA merger to average at least 25 points per game for a single team in his first 400 career games and be traded prior to his 500th game. The first player to do so was Luka Doncic, with whom Young was exchanged in a draft-night trade in 2018.
McCollum's averages this season include 18.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds, with shooting percentages of 45.4% from the field and 39.3% from 3-point range. He led Washington in scoring this season with 18.6 points per game. Kispert has averaged 9.2 points and shot 39.5% from 3-point range in 19 games this season, adding to the Hawks' wing depth.
Historically, the Hawks' offense with Young on the floor ranked among the top 15 offenses every season since his second campaign in 2019-20, including being the top-ranked offense in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Draft Pick Information
The Wizards' 2026 first-round pick is top-eight protected as a result of a previous trade with the New York Knicks. Should the Wizards retain their own 2026 first-round pick, they will then convey their 2026 and 2027 second-round picks to New York.