Trae Young Wants to Stay with Washington Wizards for "Long Time"

The news of Trae Young's trade interest from around the league sparked slight concern among Washington Wizards fans earlier this week. It marked the first time that the idea of the former Atlanta point guard playing elsewhere to open the 2026-27 regular season became a possibility. Yet still, the expectation remained more likely than not that Young would ultimately ink an extension.

That added additional intrigue around Darryn Peterson, who began focusing only on Washington after reportedly declining interviews with other teams, while the former Kansas guard is also reportedly uninterested in landing with the Utah Jazz despite owning the second overall pick. Yet the continued expectation that the Wizards are expected to ink a contract extension with Young is a matter of days away from becoming a reality.

The good news is Young's interest in remaining with the organization is still as strong as it was when he arrived in Washington while Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also reported on Wednesday that "Young hopes to remain a Wizard for a long time."

While some will look to hear similar news on veteran forward Anthony Davis after a back and forth on his commitment to the Wizards in 2026-27, the signs have been there since Young was first traded to DC. Since Young was shipped out of Atlanta, he's consistently embraced both the Wizards' organization and city, in addition to reportedly prioritizing going to a team that would be open to an extension. Add in the fact that the Wizards have made Young a prominent piece of their social media presence, the signs point to a long-term deal materializing. Yet with time no longer on his side, what the extension materializes into is the next question with the potential trade rumors adding to Young's price tag ahead of his June 23 deadline.

Whether an extension for Young leads to a shift in the Wizards'  draft plans will be another key storyline over the next six days as general manager Will Dawkins and president Michael Winger have the "power of choice" still available to the front office.

Young has been at the center of the Wizards' renewed optimism with the expectation he becomes a key part in what's viewed to be a season with postseason aspirations, though Young offered a glimpse into what that would look like after appearing in five games on a minutes restriction.

Whether Washington proves to be the last stop of Young's NBA career will be another question for the 27 year old, but for now, it's becoming increasingly clear again that the Wizards have their impact piece to handle ball handling duties.

Wizards Roundtable also offers a fan community. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Wizards. Create an account, click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our free community and follow for all of our coverage, analysis and more!