How Trae Young Should Approach The Rest of His NBA Career
It took about 48 hours for the Trae Young situation to go through the full life cycle of an NBA trade rumor.
Monday, news broke of the connection between Young and the Washington Wizards. And by Wednesday night, a deal between the Wizards and Atlanta Hawks was done.
The surprise for many was the return for Atlanta. It should probably be a little sobering for Young.
Despite making four All-Star teams, leading the league in assists per game in 2024-25 and averaging 26.4 points and 10.2 assists over the last seven seasons, Young was just traded for a 34-year-old CJ McCollum on an expiring contract and soon-to-be-27-year-old three-point specialist Corey Kispert.
That's it. No draft picks. No promising young prospects. Heck, on Monday, there was even some speculation that the Hawks would have to be the team to include sweeteners to get a deal done.
In short, Young's value around the league had clearly cratered. And that begs some questions.
What changes could Young make to the way he plays to revitalize his value? Is Washington really the best place to do it? Does he even intend to stay there beyond this season?
In other words: How exactly should Trae approach the rest of his career?
Treat Washington Like His Longterm Home
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We already heard some reporting that Washington was Trae's preferred destination, but the situation makes it easy to be skeptical.
Young can decline his 2026-27 player option and become a free agent this summer. That makes it reasonable to wonder if he wanted to join the Wizards to build a winning culture or put up massive numbers in advance of a new contract.
Does he want to win? Or does he want to convince some other suitor to pay him a ton of money?
If he's leaning toward the latter, he might actually be less likely to get his wish. Ball dominance and a game that at least can look like it's geared toward putting up empty numbers is what cratered his trade value. If he keeps playing the same way he did over his last couple years in Atlanta, a raise may not be in the cards.
It could certainly hinder his chances of getting the most possible money from Washington, who can offer him a three-year extension right now (though it's not expected to immediately negotiate one).
Regardless of how he feels about his new team, Young should not treat it like a stepping stone. He should be deferential. He should lean into being the experienced veteran who can help the younger players. He should get off the ball more often. And he should try on defense.
In short, he needs to treat the Wizards' organization like it's his longterm home.
Play Off the Ball
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The Stephen Curry comps were never fair to Young. The Golden State Warriors guard is one of the 5-10 best players in NBA history. Even if there are hints of Curry's game in Young's, expecting the latter to approach anything near the former's impact was silly.
But that doesn't mean Trae can't learn from the way Curry plays. And it doesn't mean he shouldn't try to emulate him, at least a bit more often than he does now.
Becoming the pure shooter Curry is would be impossible, but his less heralded superpower, off-ball movement, may be every bit as important. And that's largely the product of effort.
Yes, Curry's feel for the game and ability to read the floor are key ingredients in his ability to get open, but Young rarely even tries to meaningfully move without the ball.
If he proves willing to do that in Washington, he'll not only rehab his own value a bit, he'll make the Wizards a far more dynamic attack.
It'll also allow young talents like Kyshaw George, Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibably to continue to develop their own on-ball prowess.
And in spite of what this trade might suggest about Washington's ambitions, it should still be focused on its young core.
Play Defense
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Young isn't likely to ever be a plus defender. His size alone (6'2" and 164 pounds) probably precludes that.
And after ranking in the eighth percentile or worse in defensive estimated plus-minus in seven of his eight seasons (with the eighth ranking in the 20th percentile), it's probably fair to say he lacks the skills to be a solid defender too.
Quick hands, ability to read opposing offenses and anticipation are all valuable attributes for guards and wings on the defensive end, and Young just doesn't really have them.
But, at the very least, he could try. In far too many possessions, Young essentially surrenders after his first effort. He gives up on the first screen. He mentally drifts when he's off the ball. He's lackadaisical on rotations.
If Young would just focus and make a concerted effort to at least bother opponents, he might. And when the baseline is being one of the worst defenders in the league, it shouldn't be all that hard to improve.
If he just goes from terrible to below average, his ability to produce on the other end could return him to perennial All-Star territory.
Be a Leader
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In terms of raw, per-game averages, Young has been incredibly productive throughout his career.
He's averaged over 20 points in six of his eight seasons. He's averaged double-figures assists three times (and been over eight per game in every other season).
But those numbers obviously didn't inspire much in those around him. For years, rumors have persisted about teammates not loving playing with him.
His shot selection and penchant for pounding the ball ahead of his assists could be tough to watch for an NBA player who wants to do more than stand in one spot and be ready to shoot when he gets the ball.
In Washington (or wherever he is for the rest of his career), Young needs to lead by example. He needs to carve a few of the early-shot-clock 30-footers out of his shot diet. He needs to pass the ball early and move without it. He might even have to defer a bit to an up-and-comer like Johnson or Sarr when they're having big nights.
The heliocentric approach to the game has led to winning for exceptionally few players across the history of the league. We have enough evidence to know Young isn't one of them, but that doesn't mean he can't be one of the league's best offensive players.
His approach just has to be a little different.
