Trae Young Contract Rumors Reveal Wizards' Plans After Blockbuster Trade With Hawks
Trae Young is now a Washington Wizard after being traded by the Atlanta Hawks earlier this week, and only time will tell how long he ultimately remains with the team.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Washington "openly covets length and size," meaning Young isn't exactly an ideal long-term fit. However, Stein also noted there have been "rumblings" about Young getting a two-year extension in Washington.
Young, 27, has a $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which Stein noted "helps Washington reach the league's salary floor with ease next season while giving the Wizards playmaking they sorely lack."
According to Stein, the "well-known reluctance" from Atlanta to give Young an extension over the summer "was the first domino that led to" this week's trade between the Hawks and Wizards.
Atlanta received CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return for Young, who was once the face of the Hawks franchise. That kind of return for Young would have stunned the NBA world a few years ago, but it has become evident as of late that a split might have been the best move.
The Hawks' 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run with Young leading the way may have been their ceiling, as the team hasn't won a playoff series since. Now, Young gets a fresh start with a team looking to find its identity.
Young has played just 10 games so far this season, putting up 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game. He'll look to return to the court soon and make an impact for a struggling Wizards team.
Washington is 10-27 this year and is clearly still in rebuild mode. Young may not be able to turn things around this year, but if he does stick around, he could be the centerpiece of the franchise.
"That could be another reason why I'm here. We revive each other," Young told Andscape's Marc J. Spears this week. "The city can revive me as much as I can revive it. That's a big reason why I want to come here. I want to be an impactful person and player everywhere I go. So, as much as I'm going to try to revive the city, I need the city and this team to give me as much as we're going to give them."
