On Monday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Wizards had emerged as a "legitimate trade destination" for Trae Young (subscription required), with discussions centered on a deal involving former Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum. His $30.6 million expiring salary would be key to making a trade work.
McCollum spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Pelicans after the Blazers' 2022 deadline trade. Over the summer, New Orleans sent him to Washington as part of a package for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and a 2025 second-round pick.
The Wizards have absolutely no intention of re-signing McCollum. They're exactly where they want to be — at the bottom of the East with a 9-25 record. Washington has been in rebuild mode for the past couple of years, shifting the focus to its youth. McCollum, 34, doesn't fit that timeline, although his temporary leadership is appreciated.
Signs point to a McCollum trade happening over the next few weeks, even if it isn't part of a deal for Young. If that is how things shake out, though, he could be involved in the biggest pre-deadline deal, assuming that Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn't ask out. There is also Anthony Davis, who Dallas may or may not decide to trade.
CJ McCollum could be traded to Hawks as part of Trae Young deal
You might be wondering why Washington, of all teams, would be interested in Young. It'd be a salary dump move for the Hawks, as the guard has a $49 million player option that he could opt into for the 2026-27 season. Atlanta doesn't want that, so as Stein noted, it may have to send the Wizards draft capital to convince them to absorb his contract this season (and even next season if he picks up his option).
For McCollum, he'd either finish the season in Atlanta or be rerouted to a third team. The Hawks may want him specifically, as he could help with playmaking duties at the start of the post-Trae era. He could give them more scoring off the bench, too. Perhaps the Hawks, currently sitting at No. 10 in the East, would even make a playoff run.
Wherever McCollum ends up, he'll have a choice in the next step in his career over the summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. One would assume he'd want to go to a team where he'd have a shot at winning a championship, which isn't even remotely realistic with his current team.