More on why Trae Young preferred the Washington Wizards, whether a contract extension is expected plus ESPN grades the trade
The blockbuster trade that appeared as a possibility on Tuesday blossomed into breaking news after the Wizards road loss against the Philadelphia 76ers with news that Atlanta star point guard Trae Young is headed to Washington in exchange for Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. While draft compensation was expected to favor Washington with reports surfacing of a growingly likely trade, neither team parted with its draft assets. But it gives Washington a potential impact piece at a position of need for at least the next year.
“Trae Young wanted to be a Washington Wizard,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in a TV interview.
It marked the franchise’s biggest trade since dishing Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns in 2023, a move that landed Bilal Coulibaly along with ten draft picks or swaps through 2030. This time around, Washington did not get trade picks as was initially reported - but they also did not give up any. In fact, the Wizards' front office's patient approach eventually turned Bradley Beal's supermax into the franchise's first point guard since John Wall.
What the move did was turn expiring contracts into a potential point guard for the future to give the franchise a ready-made star that draws fans back into Capital One Arena. With young, athletic pieces in the front court in Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr to pair with Kyshawn George on the wing along with Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington in the backcourt, Young gives the Wizards a chance to add a complementary piece to bolster its young core.
Yet with the trade still fresh, how long Young is a Wizard is the next question mark.
The former Oklahoma star is in year four of a five-year $215 million contract as Young, limited to just ten games this season, prioritized finding a trade partner that would be most likely to move ahead with a contract extension following the 2026-27 season. Young does have a near $49 million player option next season, though it’s wait and see whether that gets picked up. With Washington still holding onto its top-eight protected first round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, what Young’s availability materializes into the rest of the 2025-26 season is worth tracking as the Wizards leave the door open on next steps with the move now official.
“While rival teams expect Young to pick up his player option, league sources say Young has not made a decision on that front at this point. He is open to the prospect of discussing an extension but is assessing the free agency landscape for this summer, as well,” The Athletic reported.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the same following news of the trade. “The Wizards are not expected to have immediate extension talks with Young, and both sides will evaluate his health once he arrives in Washington, sources said.”
Still, it changes the outlook for a franchise that has spent much of the last three seasons pointing to the future and potential within the organization.
ESPN graded the Wizards haul as a 'B', pointing to how the addition of the veterans around a young cores like the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets "accelerated the progress" of both teams.
"Acquiring Young now gives Washington three months to evaluate how he and the team's young players fit together before building around them this offseason. If dealing for Young was the centerpiece of Washington's efforts to move toward competitiveness, I'd be concerned. As a starting point in that process, it makes more sense," Kevin Pelton wrote.