NBA: Done deal! Trae Young joins the Washington Wizards

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Done deal! Trae Young joins the Washington Wizards
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Point guard and leader of the Atlanta Hawks since being drafted in 2018, Trae Young is traded for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert!

The news was confirmed by ESPN at the end of the match between the Philadelphia Sixers and Washington Wizards, even before the end of Atlanta's victory: Young joins the Wizards in exchange for McCollum and Kispert.

It had become obvious since his knee injury sustained at the end of October that these Hawks have found a way to play and perform at the highest level without the help of their All-Star point guard. His return did not allow Quin Snyder's side to elevate their game further – quite the opposite, Atlanta lost all five matches after he returned in mid-December!

As reported since the beginning of the week, he has therefore been sent to Washington, which he had targeted as his priority destination. Atlanta did not turn their nose up, granting the request of their leader for over seven seasons, receiving only McCollum (34), whose contract expires at the end of the season, and sharpshooter Kispert. No draft picks are included in the deal, contrary to what one might have expected.

The point guard had been placed back on the injured list at the end of 2025, officially to treat his quadriceps, and rumours of a departure quickly surfaced, finally coming to fruition overnight.

Washington, a choice for the future

Young's decision to make Washington a priority may come as a surprise, with the Wizards still far from being able to claim a playoff spot, let alone compete for a title. But in terms of potential, particularly with the presence of French players Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and other young talents like the Carrington-Johnson-George trio, there is enough to build a competitive team for the future. It will be up to him to help this group take that next step by lifting DC out of the Eastern Conference basement.

For Young, the rest of the season will not be without stakes as he will need to shine if he wants to negotiate a better contract for the future of his career. He also has the option of activating a player option worth $48.9m (£36.4m) for the 2026-27 season to delay his trip to the negotiating table by a year. To do so, he will need to quickly rediscover his best form to show he can be relied upon in the long term.

CJ McCollum very enthusiastic

For Atlanta, who developed other assets in Young's absence, the arrival of McCollum guarantees the presence of an additional scoring guard in the roster to guide a group that does not lack talent. The arrival of Kispert is a bonus in a squad where Vit Krejci and Luke Kennard already offer a similar profile behind starters Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson on the wings.

"I loved my time in DC," McCollum said after learning of his move to Atlanta. "The franchise was great with my family and me. Michael Winger and Will Dawkins did everything they said and kept their word from the start. I love the city and the franchise does things the right way here. I'm excited to join Atlanta and get to work. I'm very familiar with their style of play. I like the leadership and front office, and there's a good group of players."

In any case, this marks the end of an era in Atlanta. Young, who managed to lead these Hawks to the Conference Finals in 2021 but could not build on that success, stringing together disappointing seasons that ultimately led to this premature divorce. For now, he remains the franchise's all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,295) and assists (4,837) in Georgia!

This article was originally published on Basket USA.

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