The Washington Wizards made a splash on Monday morning, the day before the start of the 2026 NBA Draft. Despite having the first overall pick in Tuesday's draft, Washington elected to make some news by agreeing to a new deal with guard Trae Young.
According to ESPN, Young and the Wizards agreed to a four-year, $212 million deal that will have him signed through the 2029-30 season. Young opted out of the final year of his previous deal which was worth $48.9 million, and will now be paid an average of $53 million a year.
Fans on social media couldn't believe the deal, with some calling it the worst contract in the NBA.
“Who was Washington bidding against…?” said one user.
Who was Washington bidding against…? https://t.co/bcJ0bG3V9R
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) June 22, 2026
“Confused why his trade value was so low yet he’s back to being one of the highest paid players in basketball six months later,” said another. “But hey I’m glad to see the Wizards are keeping him.”
Confused why his trade value was so low yet he’s back to being one of the highest paid players in basketball 6 months later. But hey I’m glad to see the Wizards are keeping him https://t.co/tEBek51kCr
— Nico (@elitetakes_) June 22, 2026
The reactions came pouring in as many remain baffled at Washington committing four years and $212 million to Trae Young.
This is absolutely horrendous https://t.co/PnLD5IZH0Q
— ShwinnyPooh, Knicks championship enjoyer (@shwinnypooh) June 22, 2026
Maybe those new lottery rules were a good idea lmao these bad teams deserve to stay bad https://t.co/8KHgPsgDzl
— ay (@spoonlocks) June 22, 2026
https://twiter.com/will_nba_hater/status/2069129989136556438
Yea I think this Trae Young contract is worse than the De'Aaron Fox deal.
I bet the Wizards start reasonably hot next year and their fans dig this tweet back up, but in the long run, that deal is just a significant overpay. I would've let him walk.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) June 22, 2026
I hated the Trae trade from the beginning and would have hated any deal they signed, but credit to the Wiz, I never expected it could be that insane.
— Andrew Sharp (@andrewsharp) June 22, 2026
Trae Young's potential contract figures, per @KeithSmithNBA:
'26-27: $47.3M
'27-28: $51.1M
'28-29: $54.9M
'29-30: $58.7M (player option)Roughly $9.7M less than he could've gotten in a 4-year max deal. https://t.co/YEGmiXi8fy
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) June 22, 2026
I had Trae Young ranked as the 13th best point guard in the NBA back in March.
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) June 22, 2026
Oh that's a BAG https://t.co/CLznLJP3Gl
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) June 22, 2026
LMAOOOOO https://t.co/IWFv62IO7i
— Pranav Sriraman (@PranavSriraman) June 22, 2026
Wizards obtained Young for nothing on the trade market because his contract was toxic, so naturally he’s gonna get a bigger contract. https://t.co/tevM23T2gK
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) June 22, 2026
Trae Young was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Washington Wizards in January 2026, one month prior to the NBA trade deadline. Young played just five games for the Wizards, averaging 15.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in just 20.8 minutes a night.
Entering next season, the Wizards could roll out a lineup featuring Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, and projected No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa.
