It's an end of an era for the Atlanta Hawks after trading star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Young quickly became the face of the franchise after joining the Hawks in 2018 following a draft-day trade with the Dallas Mavericks. He led the team to three appearances in the playoffs, including the conference finals in 2021.
But now, Atlanta is going in another direction, parting ways with one of its most beloved players.
Young has been limited to just 10 games this season due to an MCL injury, but Hawks coach Quin Snyder, in a video posted by ClutchPoints' Malik Brown, stressed that the talented playmaker was nothing but helpful despite his sorry situation, exuding positive energy and supporting his teammates.
Quin started postgame saying he wouldn’t answer questions about you know what, but he did answer this question about how Trae’s energy was around the team while he was sidelined with injury: pic.twitter.com/cERTBTAF1D
— Malik Brown (@_MalikATL) January 8, 2026
The 27-year-old Young is averaging 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.0 steals this season.
While he remains one of the league's best players, Atlanta its hinging its future on its rising core, led by Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. With them leading the charge, the Hawks have found ways to win even without Young.
They routed the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, 117-100. Zaccharie Risacher, who is rumored to be on the trading block, scored 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting from deep, while Johnson added 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Alexander-Walker contributed 17 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks.
The Hawks received CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert from the Wizards in exchange for Young. While it is valid to argue that Atlanta should have demanded a future draft pick as well, it seems Synder is confident enough to roll with the aforementioned core.
