The Trae Young era in Atlanta is officially over. The Atlanta Hawks have traded the four-time All-Star to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, according to ESPN.
Notably, no draft compensation was included, signaling a clean philosophical reset rather than a traditional asset-collection move.
The deal ends Young's seven-plus-season run as Atlanta's franchise centerpiece and reunites him with Travis Schlenk, the architect who drafted him in 2018 and now serves as Washington's vice president of player personnel.
Why Atlanta Finally Moved On
Young's Hawks tenure began with legitimate promise. By his third season, he had led Atlanta to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, earned four All-Star selections, and secured All-NBA honors in 2022. For much of the past decade, he was the organization's identity.
But the ground beneath him shifted. Atlanta's front office has turned over multiple times, with Onsi Saleh taking control last offseason. Young also cycled through three permanent head coaches, most recently Quin Snyder, leaving few decision-makers who originally built around his ball-dominant style.
On the court, the results grew murkier. This season, Atlanta struggled defensively and stylistically with Young on the floor. When he sat, the Hawks played faster, shared the ball more freely, and defended with greater consistency.
Around the league, the appetite for small, defensively limited guards on max contracts has cooled. Those players can still help teams-but rarely at $49 million per year.
With Young holding a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27 and roughly $95 million remaining on his deal, Atlanta faced a looming flexibility crunch. Moving him now opens paths to cap space, expiring money, or another major swing, Anthony Davis among the names league insiders have floated.
What Washington Is Betting On
For the Wizards, the calculus is different. With ample cap room and no immediate pressure to contend, Washington can afford to take a buy-low gamble on Young's talent. Despite injuries limiting him to 10 games this season, he remains one of the league's most productive offensive engines, owning career averages of 25.2 points and 9.8 assists.
Washington has ranked near the bottom of the NBA in guard scoring, assists, and offensive efficiency. Adding a true point guard capable of organizing young talent like Alex Sarr addresses a structural need, not just a scoring one. The Wizards are not expected to rush extension talks, instead evaluating Young's health and long-term fit first.
A Clean Break for Both Sides
Atlanta gets a veteran leader in McCollum on a $30.6 million expiring contract and a reliable floor-spacer in Kispert, while pivoting toward a younger, wing-driven core featuring Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher. Washington, meanwhile, takes its first real step out of perpetual lottery purgatory.
For both franchises, this trade isn't about winning today. It's about clarity and finally choosing a direction.
Newsweek