The Washington Wizards have surfaced as a potentially serious trade destination for Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young. If this deal were to come to fruition, it would reportedly be centered around guard C.J. McCollum’s expiring contract.
Atlanta began collaborative talks with Young’s agents, Drew Morrison, Aaron Mintz, and Austin Brown last week, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
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It’s been a rough start to the 2025-26 season for Young, who has played in just 10 games due to a knee injury. Young hasn’t played since Dec. 27 in a loss to the New York Knicks, where he scored 9 points, dished out 10 assists, but had 6 turnovers. He missed the entire month of November, and the Hawks went 10-5 without their four-time All-Star.
Not only this season, but the past couple of years have been rough for Young and the Hawks as they’ve missed out on the playoffs the past two seasons. Atlanta qualified for the play-in tournament the last two years but failed to advance further. There has been plenty of talk surrounding the Hawks and Young splitting, and with the Feb. 5 trade deadline quickly approaching, a deal could soon be on the horizon.
In 10 games this season, many of Young’s offensive numbers are down significantly. Last season, Young averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 assists per game (NBA leader), and shot 34% from 3-point range in 76 games. This year, he’s down to 19.3 points, 8.9 assists per game, and shooting 30.5% from behind the arc. Whether it’s his health, the team, or the desire to play elsewhere, something needs to change soon for all parties involved.
This story will be updated.
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