The Washington Wizards have gone full steam ahead on their tanking efforts this season, with trade acquisitions Trae Young and Anthony Davis both out of the lineup with apparent injuries. Young was brought in by the team from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, with the hope being that he, Davis, and a blue-chip prospect from the 2026 NBA Draft vault Washington into contention next year.
Recently, NBA insider Marc Stein broke down the latest on when Young could potentially return from injury, as well as his contract extension situation with the Wizards.
“Washington has maintained that Young is progressing toward making his Wizards debut at some point before the regular season ends, but skepticism persists in various corners of the league about whether it will actually happen this season,” reported Stein on his Substack.
Stein also reported that “I've been repeatedly advised to expect Young and the Wizards to come to terms on a contract extension this summer that is widely projected to be a three-year deal.”
A large part of the reason why the Hawks traded Young was thought to be around Atlanta's unwillingness to sign the star to a contract extension this past offseason, a decision that reportedly alienated Young from the franchise that traded for him on draft night back in 2018.
Young only played a few games for the Hawks this year, having missed significant time with an MCL sprain, and is still yet to make his Wizards debut this season.
The Wizards are one of the many teams with eyes on the loaded 2026 NBA Draft class, and playing Young this season could potentially hurt their chances of securing one of the top selections.
In any case, the Wizards are next set to take the floor on Monday evening for a home game against the Houston Rockets.
