Ranking Top Trae Young Free Agency Landing Spots After Star Guard Declines $49M Player Option

When the Washington Wizards traded for Trae Young ahead of last season's deadline, Young signing a longer-term deal with the team almost felt like a foregone conclusion.

But on Wednesday, we found out the door may be cracked open a bit on a potential departure.

"Wizards star Trae Young plans to decline his $48.97 million player option for the 2026–27 season to become a [free agent] on Monday," ESPN's Marc Spears posted. "Washington remains the front runner for the four-time NBA All-Star as he loves the team and DC, but he still expects multiple team max interest."

Now, just because Young expects multiple teams to be interested doesn't mean there are. He was essentially salary-dumped in February because of a lack of interest for his services. And Washington having his Bird rights means it could have more leverage than any potential suitors.

But we are talking about a 27-year-old with career averages of 25.2 points and 9.8 assists. He's one of the more reliable offensive engines in the league, and the five teams below could at least think about adding him.

5. Chicago Bulls

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The Chicago Bulls are here largely because they're one of the few teams projected to have some cap space this summer.

And while they probably shouldn't be willing to give him a max, they could probably offer enough to at least make Washington squirm a little.

Now, the logical reaction to this potential pairing is to wonder how Young would coexist with Josh Giddey. Both have typically needed the ball in their hands to be successful. Neither has shown enough as an off-ball catch-and-shoot threat to have much confidence in them shifting to that role.

But Giddey, at 6'7", is certainly big enough to slide over on defense. And a creative offensive system could give both playmakers more opportunities to attack defenses initially scrambled by the other.

The fit would take a little time to figure out, but there's no doubt Young would represent a raw talent upgrade. And following the implementation of Adam Silver's new anti-tanking measures, it wouldn't be surprising to see more bad or mediocre teams taking swings on raw talent.

4. Miami Heat

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The Miami Heat are obviously focused on pulling off a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but there's no guarantee that happens.

And if another suitor swoops in and lands Giannis with an offer that the Milwaukee Bucks prefer to Miami's, the Heat could shift to backup plans.

They don't have the cap space to sign Young outright, but they may have some young(ish) pieces to offer in a sign-and-trade that might fit Washington's rebuilding timeline.

Tyler Herro is only a year younger than Young, but he's under contract through next season (at a much smaller number) and would bring the kind of shooting that could take a lot of pressure off the incoming top overall pick.

Depending on how high Miami was willing to go on Young's new salary, this option might give the Wizards two or three players in exchange for Young, too.

And though the Heat would obviously prefer to land Giannis (a perennial MVP candidate, when healthy), Young might actually be the easier fit.

It's not hard to imagine the pick-and-roll pairing with him and Bam Adebayo. And Young would certainly cost Miami less than an Antetokounmpo trade would. So, there would likely be some decent wings left to play between the stars.

3. Sacramento Kings

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This is sort of the wildcard team, but the Sacramento Kings have a clear need for a point guard after trading both Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox in recent seasons.

And while the sign-and-trade possibilities probably don't offer Washington the same kind of youth, they could lead to flexibility.

De'Andre Hunter and DeMar DeRozan are both on contracts that will expire after the 2026-27 campaign. They add up to around $50 million, and DeRozan's deal comes with the added potential bonus of only being partially guaranteed.

If the Wizards decided to buy him out, it wouldn't cost them too much.

So, if the Kings were willing to throw in one young(ish) player and maybe a far-flung future pick, it might be worth it for the Wizards.

As for the Kings, a total teardown might make more sense, but there's not quite as much incentive for those as there was a few months ago. And Young and Sabonis could develop some good inside-out synergy.

2. Brooklyn Nets

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Years before they entered the NBA, Michael Porter Jr. and Trae Young made up one of the most dominant duos AAU ball has ever seen.

Now, with Brooklyn being among that small group of teams that can clear out some cap space, they could be reunited in Brooklyn.

Of course, the Nets did just take three playmakers in last year's draft (Egor Dёmin, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf), but Dёmin is big enough to slide over and was a much higher-volume three-point shooter than expected as a rookie.

Having him as a secondary creator could make the Nets' offense more dynamic beyond the Young-MPJ two-man game, too.

There's also a sign-and-trade possibility here, since Young might not be willing to fit cleanly into that cap space with a deal starting under $33 million. And the Nets have more intriguing young players to offer the Wizards than Sacramento does.

1. Washington Wizards

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Of course, even considering all of the above, the Wizards remain the best bet to sign Young to his next deal.

This opt-out is likely just a formality, because Washington can go over the cap to re-sign him (because of the Bird rights), and he and Anthony Davis actually make a lot of sense together.

There have been rumblings that AD may not want to be there, but a few weeks of feasting on the easy looks Young will give him could change his mind.

And having that two-man game in place should make it a lot easier for the rest of the young Wizards (including AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer) to develop.

They don't have to carry the team on either end of the floor. Young will create shots for them on offense. Davis will cover for their mistakes on defense.

If that incoming first overall pick is ready to contribute to winning right away, a Washington team led by Young and Davis might be competing for a play-in spot as early as this season.