Washington lands a potential offensive spark. Explore the star guard's fit, massive contract, and whether he aligns with the rebuild's core principles.
The Washington Wizards have emerged as a potential suitor to trade for Atlanta's Trae Young, according to Marc Stein.
Young, 26, makes 45 million dollars this season, which Washington would take on if a trade is executed. Also, he has a 49 million dollar player option this summer. Young likely won't turn down opting in.
Stein reports the deal would center around CJ McCollum's expiring contract. The Wizards are projected to have over 80 million dollars in cap space this offseason, according to Spotrac
With the rumor swirling, Wizards fans can form opinions and imagine possibilities. A Young add might not fit the typical Will Dawkins profile. Dawkins and Winger have prioritized positional size and defense as the focal points of their rebuild. Young doesn't provide either.
However, Young's playmaking ability is something Washington hasn't had in years. His passing ability could help aid the growth of a young big like Alex Sarr. Young is an extremely ball-dominant player. Outside of this year, where he's only played 10 games, Young has never had a usage rate below 32% -- and he's never been outside the 90th percentile, according to Cleaning The Glass.
In his 2020-2021 season, which led to a Hawks Eastern Conference Finals appearance, he was in the 100th percentile for usage rate, per Cleaning The Glass. For reference, the Wizards' highest usage player this season is CJ McCollum at 24.4%.
It's reasonable to say this is because Washington doesn't have a true number one point guard option, as the team has tried a few different options, including reps for Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George serving as a point forward.
Washington has had major issues playmaking. They are bottom third of the league in assists per game with 25.4 per night. Atlanta is number one this season -- despite Young only playing in ten games. Jalen Johnson's emergence has made Young feel like less of a priority there.
Additionally, the Hawks are 15-12 without him playing.
Washington hasn't had a playmaker with Young's innate ability in many years. The last Wizard to average at least 10 assists per game is Russell Westbrook, who averaged 11.7 in 2020-2021. Young has averaged 10 or more in his last three seasons. This year, he averages 8.9, but it's a small sample size.
There's an argument that Young provides nothing on defense, which is a fair one. One could also argue playmaking ability would benefit Sarr. In year two, 17.2% of his buckets are assisted. That's in the 84th percentile, according to Cleaning The Glass.
Washington's front office has a strong connection to Young. The Wizards' Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Travis Schlenk drafted Young when he was the GM in Atlanta.
Another important thing to note is potential draft compensation in return for Washington. The Wizards would be doing Atlanta a favor to help it get off Young's contract. Stein suggested in his article that the Wizards should command draft capital in return.
Atlanta has some arsenal it could work with. The Hawks are likely to have a big gift coming their way. They own the draft rights to New Orleans' first round pick this year, which is slated at the second-best odds at number one right now.
Atlanta obviously will not trade those right to Washington. However, Atlanta has another first rounder coming from the Cleveland Cavaliers. That potential mid-first-rounder could be enticing for Washington.
Another to consider; the appeal for rebuilding teams showing interest in Trae Young is the potential to rehabilitate his value to flip him again in 2027, according to Evan Sidery. Young's value is at the lowest it could possibly be because of his 49 million dollar player option.
Whether or not Washington makes this deal, it wouldn't have to be a long-term commitment.
Back to Young's passing ability; Washington has a huge issue turning over the basketball. Its 15.4 per game is 7th worst in the league. That mark has slightly improved in recent weeks. Young has been a decently high turnover player in his career, but he would help stabilize the offense.
Regardless of Young's impact on the Wizards if a trade is made, Washington netting draft compensation is the most intriguing part.