WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday night's Washington Wizards-New Orleans Pelicans matchup had several storylines that normally would have been the center of attention in Wizards World, but four-time All-Star Trae Young's introductory press conference before the game was the main topic of discussion. Therefore, Washington's 128-107 loss was a footnote in one of the franchise's most exciting days since the John Wall/Bradley Beal era.
Second-year wing Kyshawn George told ClutchPoints postgame how Young (quad, MCL) can help him and the Wizards.
I asked Kyshawn George how Trae Young can help him and the Wizards (thread):
“I don’t know his exact resume, but he’s a really good basketball player. He can shoot, he can pass, he can create advantages. Being able to attract defense to him and be a great passer…” pic.twitter.com/EUICuzv5fF
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) January 10, 2026
Expand Tweet
“I don’t know his exact resume, but he’s a really good basketball player,” the 22-year-old said. “He can shoot, he can pass, he can create advantages. Being able to attract defense to him and be a great passer. I think he's gonna make us better.”
Young's numbers back up George's statement, as he averages 25.2 points and 9.8 assists over his career and led the NBA with 11.6 assists per game last season. Acquiring the 27-year-old was a landmark moment for General Manager Will Dawkins and company, as he's both the first star and the first true point guard the team has gotten since this administration took over in the 2023 offseason.
However, as Dawkins mentioned during Young's presser, there are two sides to every trade. George spoke on what he'll miss about veterans CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, who Washington dealt to the Atlanta Hawks for Young on Wednesday.
“Off the court, and even on the court, Corey is a really good guy…Good person, joyful, happy to come to work, working hard, great intentions,” the former Miami Hurricane said. “Same for CJ. I think they're anchors in the sense that you know what you’re gonna get from them every single day, and they hold that baseline.”
Kispert was the Wizards' last remaining player drafted by former General Manager Tommy Sheppard, and McCollum helped show the young core the ropes as one of the NBA's more accomplished veterans. The latter player not only averaged 20-plus points per game for 10 straight seasons entering 2025-26, but he is the former President and Vice President of the NBA Player's Association, so he's as good as it gets for leadership on and off the court.
Off the court, McCollum shared wise nuggets like telling rookie sharpshooter Tre Johnson that he needs non-basketball hobbies to keep himself sane, per Monumental Sports Network. On the court, the 34-year-old averaged 18.8 points on 45.4 percent shooting (39.3 percent 3-point) with 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists over 35 games and was one of the main reasons why Washington was 7-5 over its previous 12 contests entering Wednesday night's 131-110 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, which both he and Kispert sat for ahead of the trade being announced.
McCollum made an impact despite only being with the team since last summer, but Kispert witnessed the organizational revolution from the Sheppard to Dawkins eras. The Wizards went from a middling, veteran-led team to a squad focused on development for rookie contract players in a full-scale rebuild.
While Kispert never experienced a winning season in the nation's capital, he aided and empowered the “Wiz Kids” whenever he could. The former Gonzaga Bulldog spoke to ClutchPoints about advice he gave the young core that he saw it follow during the aforementioned winning stretch after the Wizards' 141-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
I asked Corey Kispert if there was any advice he gave the Wizards’ young players that he saw them follow over the last few games (thread):
“Yeah I mean, they are unbelievably confident. I tend to give advice to guys who feel like they’re kind of a deer in headlights…” pic.twitter.com/7H0zeXoyMQ
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) January 5, 2026
“Yeah I mean, they are unbelievably confident. I tend to give advice to guys who feel like they’re kind of a deer in headlights
or not really sure what they’re doing,” he said. “But these guys are ready to play hard right now. Just little stuff, that’s all they need. How to move off the ball, when to cut, when to space, how to get guys' hands off of you.”
Article Continues Below
“When you’re an elite shooter, people are really close to you all the time, like Velcro,” he continued. “So you gotta create that space to free up your game. Little stuff like that. It’s not anything revolutionary or mind-blowing. These guys have a really good coaching staff, good support systems. I just try to be a part of that.”
Young may not be able to fill the leadership void left by McCollum and Kispert alone, but he said all the right things during Friday's presser.
Trae Young details how he will mesh with Wizards
Newly acquired Washington Wizards guard Trae Young speaks at an introductory press conference prior to the Wizards' game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Capital One Arena.
© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Young identified specific ways he can form an effective partnership with Washington's young building blocks.
Trae Young on how he can mesh with the Wizards’ young core:
“I know as soon as I run a PnR with Alex…or when I see Bilal cutting, that builds chemistry. That builds trust. And they gotta know I give effort on the other end too.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/WBXz0teY5z
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) January 9, 2026
“For me, one of my favorite players growing up was Steve Nash and Chris Paul as well. I always learned that the ball brings energy, so that's why I love passing,” the former All-NBA honoree said. “I know as soon as I run a pick-and-roll with Alex [Sarr], I give a little drop-off to a dunk or a lob, or I see Bilal [Coulibaly] cutting and gets the ball, and he's not cutting just to cut, that builds chemistry. That builds trust, and they gotta know I give effort on the other end too. They're gonna see that, and that's how you build trust with your teammates. That's something that will happen over time, we'll play with each other and continue to get those reps up.”
If Young consistently creates open looks for Sarr, George, Coulibaly, Johnson, and others, it will make their jobs easier and increase their confidence, which will help their development. There's no telling how much the former Oklahoma Sooner will play over the remainder of the season as he recovers from injuries, but Washington fans can dream about him cooking with the “Wiz Kids” in the meantime.
Friday's game was like seasoning on top of the steak, as Baltimore native Derik Queen notched a triple-double for the Pelicans in his return to the DMV area, while his teammate and former Wizard Jordan Poole got booed every time he touched the ball in a scoreless outing after he previously called Capital One Arena “dead” during his time with the squad. On top of that, oft-injured New Orleans star Zion Williamson nearly had a perfect shooting night, scoring 31 points (12-14 FG) over 29 minutes in just his second career game at the arena, and Johnson (No. 6 overall pick) went toe-to-toe with No. 7 overall pick Jeremiah Fears.
Most importantly for Washington, it lost another contest as it continues its mission to retain its 2026 top-eight protected lottery pick. Once the Wizards finish in the bottom four of the NBA standings this season, they will guarantee the retention of that selection and dream about putting a star prospect alongside Young and their young core.