Trae Young Reportedly Traded to Wizards as NBA Fans Question Hawks Return for Star PG
After seven and a half seasons, Trae Young is parting ways with the Atlanta Hawks.
Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hawks are sending Young to the Washington Wizards in return for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
It seemed a split was coming between Young and the Hawks, but some fans questioned Atlanta's return for the four-time All-Star.
Young perhaps doesn't command as much trade value as he once did, especially considering he's spent much of the year injured. The former No. 5 overall pick suffered a sprained MCL in late October, which forced him to miss nearly two months of action.
He returned a few weeks ago, but suffered a quad injury on Dec. 27 after just five games back from his first injury. He has not yet returned from the quad injury. According to Charania, the Wizards "will evaluate his health once he arrives in Washington," and they "are not expected to have immediate extension talks with Young."
In 10 games this season, Young is putting up 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game. Last year, he averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game across 76 contests.
While it seems on the surface that Atlanta may have given away its star for a low price, the Hawks may be planning for something bigger. Charania noted that they "added financial flexibility to pursue a large salary over the next several months," noting that Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis is a "prime trade target."
Whether the Hawks will end up with another star on the roster before the deadline remains to be seen.
