The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade star guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. This deal felt inevitable once Young listed the Wizards as his preferred landing spot.
It should also be a relief for Portland Trail Blazers fans, as their team is better off without the undersized, offensive-minded guard.
Wizards just saved Blazers from Trae Young
On the surface, it's surprising that the Hawks weren't able to get any draft capital in return. However, they still landed an underrated sharpshooter in Corey Kispert, who is on a team-friendly deal.
They were also able to offload Young's massive salary. Young is owed $46 million this season with a $49 million player option in 2026-27 that Atlanta was worried he'd pick up. Meanwhile, CJ McCollum is on an expiring $30.7 million contract, giving the Hawks -- a team that historically prefers to dodge the luxury tax -- much more financial flexibility.
It's more difficult for us to understand this deal from the Wizards' standpoint. There are certainly some pros that come from adding Young to their up-and-coming core. The Wizards desperately needed more backcourt playmaking, which, in theory, should help the development of their young core. That said, it's clear that Young is currently overpaid for the impact on winning the provides.
The Hawks were a drastically better team with Young out of the picture this season, hence their decision to trade him. And as evidenced by their relative lack of return, the market for this player archetype has diminished in the NBA.
That's why the Blazers were wise to pass on the first star to be moved this trade season.
Portland currently sits 9th in the Western Conference. Fans may understandably be eager to see their team upgrade the roster at the deadline to boost their chances of getting back to the postseason. Young would also have been a more immediate solution for their messy backcourt, which remains without Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Blake Wesley, and Damian Lillard.
But that's also the point. The Blazers haven't been at full strength, meaning they haven't had the opportunity to properly evaluate their roster. They don't necessarily know what they have in the backcourt yet. Scoot could take a giant Year 3 leap, or Dame could even return to form next season, defeating the purpose of overpaying for yet another guard.
What the Blazers do know is that they are becoming a team with a true defensive identity built around size and athleticism. From that standpoint, Young doesn't fit the roster vision. The Blazers just traded away a somewhat similar player in Anfernee Simons, and adding someone like Young would be reverting the progress they've made.
Fortunately, this dilemma is no longer an issue. Young's contract, defensive limitations, and questionable impact on winning are now officially the Wizards' problem.