The NBA has several contenders heading into the second half of the 2025-26 season, but the Atlanta Hawks aren’t one of those franchises at the moment.
There’s been a lot of talks about the Eastern Conference team moving on from star Trae Young, but now it seems those rumors have become finalized.
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ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported late Wednesday that the Hawks are trading Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. In exchange, Washington will be sending CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta.
BREAKING: The Atlanta Hawks are trading four-time NBA All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WIf8rhrRFu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 8, 2026
Young has drawn a lot of public critiques from those around the NBA and many felt it would be tough for the Hawks to trade him to a contending team.
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However, Washington has the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and the Wizards don’t appear to be in any significant hurry to return to relevance.
Dec 27, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) celebrates after a basket with guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) against the New York Knicks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
This season, Trae Young has averaged slightly over 19 points per game, which marks his lowest total since entering the league in 2018. Young has spent his first eight seasons in the NBA with Atlanta, but the 27 year old clearly needed a change.
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Young has missed time this season after suffering an MCL sprain. However, it’s unclear when he will return to the court after being traded to the Wizards.
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