Recently, the Washington Wizards gave their franchise a jolt by trading for Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, giving up CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in the process. Young will give the Wizards the first floor general they've had since John Wall left town, and figures to help Washington accelerate the rebuild they've been stuck in for several years now.
Now, NBA insider Marc Stein has added some additional context to what the future may hold between Young and Washington in the aftermath of the trade.
“…there are already rumbles about Young ultimately securing a two-year extension from the Wizards … no matter how much or how little he plays for the rest of the season with Washington desperate to hold onto a first-round pick that is only top-eight protected,” reported Stein on his Substack.
Stein also noted that “Atlanta's well-known reluctance to extend Young's contract in the summer was the first domino that led to this week's Trae-to-DC trade materializing before his eighth season as a Hawk had even reached the halfway point.”
Indeed, the Hawks declined to extend Young's contract this past offseason, which in many ways seemed to spell the beginning of the end of the partnership between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the Wizards have been looking for someone who can help bring out the best in some of their young offensive players, and Young certainly fits that bill, having helped journeymen like Kevin Huerter and John Collins look like legitimate NBA starters during his time with the Hawks.
As Stein pointed out, it remains to be seen how much Young will play this year in Washington as he recovers from multiple injuries, and as the Wizards look to maximize their position in what could be a loaded 2026 NBA Draft.
The Wizards are next set to take the floor on Wednesday evening on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers.
