The Washington Wizards might be well out of the NBA playoff picture at this point of the season, but they don’t intend to keep Trae Young off the court until next year.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Young is on pace to make is debut with the Wizards this week.
Barring any unexpected changes, the Wizards are going to roll out Young on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz at home.
Young, a 27-year-old four-time All-Star, left the Atlanta Hawks for the first time this season.
Back in 2018, Young was one of the most prominent players in the NBA Draft. Coming out of Oklahoma, he landed on the Hawks as the fifth pick (traded by the Dallas Mavericks) and started 81 games as a rookie.
From the jump, it was clear that the Hawks viewed Young as the face of their franchise. By year two, Young was averaging nearly 30 points per game, while shooting 36% from beyond the arc.
In 2021, Young and the Hawks made their first playoff appearance. They stunned the NBA by making a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. After 16 games, the Hawks were eliminated. Young’s first playoff run included averages of 28.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Since that impressive first playoff run, the Hawks had a major regression. They would make the playoffs over the next two seasons, but lost in the first round each time. They were Play-In regulars from then on out.
Heading into the 2025-2026 NBA season, Young and the Hawks failed to reach an extension. That was a sign the star guard could be facing his final days in Atlanta. In early January, the Wizards made sure that was the case.
On January 9, the Hawks traded Young to Washington in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. At the time of the deal, Young was dealing with a quad and knee-related concern. He played in just 10 games this season.
During his final run with the Hawks, Young averaged under 20 points for just the second time in his career. It was clear that a lack of availability this season affected play when he was healthy. A fresh start was gifted to the veteran, and he plans to take advantage down the stretch of the season.
Heading into Monday’s outing between the Wizards and the Houston Rockets, Washington holds a 16-43 record. They will close out a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic. Then, Young should be cleared to go on Thursday, March 5.
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