Trae Young, Hawks
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Trae Young during a recent game in Atlanta as his next team begins to take shape in trade talks.
The end of Trae Young’s tenure in Atlanta is no longer theoretical.
It is procedural.
After ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday that Young and his representatives have begun working with the Atlanta Hawks on a trade out of Atlanta, NBA insider Marc Stein added a crucial layer of specificity: the Washington Wizards have emerged as a potential landing spot in the earliest construction of a deal.
“The teams, according to league sources, have been discussing a trade construction centered around CJ McCollum’s expiring contract,” Stein reported. “There have definitely been conversations today,” one source briefed on the talks told Stein.
Trae Young and Hawks Begin Collaborative Trade Process
Charania’s reporting confirmed what had been quietly building for months — that the Hawks and Young’s camp have reached a mutual understanding that a separation may serve both sides.
“Just in: Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young and his agents… are working with the franchise on a trade,” Charania wrote on X. “The sides have started collaborative talks over the last week on finding a resolution.”
Charania later added that dialogue between the two sides has been ongoing ever since Atlanta elected not to offer Young a contract extension last summer ahead of his 2026 player option.
That decision opened the door to the current moment.
Young is earning $46 million this season and holds a $49 million player option for 2026–27. If traded, he could opt out and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Trae Young Landing Spot
Stein’s report that Washington is involved adds a new and unexpected dimension.
McCollum is on an expiring $30.7 million contract, making him a natural salary-matching anchor in any potential framework. However, Stein cautioned that Washington would need to add more contracts to make the numbers work — and that Atlanta may have to attach draft capital to convince the Wizards to absorb Young’s long-term salary.
“More salary would have to be added by Washington… and it’s believed that the Hawks would also have to send the Wizards draft capital to convince them,” Stein wrote.
That calculus reflects Young’s stature as both a star and a financial commitment.
Young’s Injury Adds Timing Pressure
Young is scheduled to miss his fifth straight game Monday in Toronto with a right quad contusion after previously missing 22 games earlier this season with a knee sprain.
While there is no indication that his injury is a driver of trade talks, the optics underscore the urgency for Atlanta to regain clarity on its direction.
From Franchise Cornerstone to Trade Asset
Young, 27, remains the most significant player in Hawks history since Dominique Wilkins.
He led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 and became the face of the franchise after being acquired in the 2018 draft-night trade with Dallas for Luka Dončić and an additional first-round pick.
That trade was orchestrated by then-Hawks executive Travis Schlenk, who now works in Washington — a connection that further deepens the intrigue surrounding the Wizards’ involvement, according to Stein.
A Trae Young Trade Could Unlock Atlanta’s Next Move
Stein previously reported that Atlanta’s ability to pursue other stars — including Anthony Davis — depends on moving Young first.
“Atlanta’s willingness to absorb Davis’ salary could well depend on its ability to find a new home via trade for Trae Young,” Stein wrote Sunday. “Shipping out multiple expiring contracts in a theoretical Davis deal would be very, very pricey.”
Stein also reported Sunday that there is currently no traction between Atlanta and Dallas on a Davis deal.
That could change if Young gets traded.