The Wizards still don’t know which path Trae Young plans to take. While rival executives have largely assumed Young will exercise his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season, that decision has not been made, according to David Aldridge, Sam Amick, and Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
The Washington Wizards got trade season started themselves earlier this week, making the first midseason deal of the 2025-26 campaign with the Atlanta Hawks in a major swap for 4x All-Star Trae Young.
Trade discussions surrounding Trae Young's availability and his mutual preference with the Washington Wizards snowballed in rapid time, resulting in the 4x All-Star landing on a new team just two days after reports surfaced of the two teams' ongoing negotiations.
Over the past few years, the Washington Wizards have been a cellar dweller in the NBA. They have been quite bad and were never close enough to truly matter and contend for a title, let alone a playoff spot.
Part of what makes the NBA, or any pro sports league, so compelling to watch is the narratives, especially those centered on rivalries. Throughout the decades, the NBA has fostered a number of rivalries, some long-lasting and others short but sweet.
At one point just weeks ago, the Washington Wizards defined the NBA's lowest common denominator. At 3-20 with a roster bogged down by highly paid veteran weapons, all eyes seemed to be tiredly trained on whoever the franchise would bring in next through yet another high draft pick.
By now, most of the NBA world has been clued in on the blockbuster deal that sent four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in exchange for vetran guard CJ McCollum and wing Corey Kispert.
After days upon days of constant rumors regarding the future of the Washington Wizards and whether a trade to acquire All-Star guard Trae Young would actually happen, the dust finally settled, as the Wizards sent off CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert while getting just Young in return.
The Washington Wizards have made the first major move in 2026. With that, they have completely revamped their rebuild timeline along with it. The Wizards and Atlanta Hawks have swapped lead guards CJ McCollum and Trae Young in a trade that will send shockwaves around the league.
The Wizards aren’t rushing into anything with Trae Young. Following their trade for the four-time All-Star, the Wizards are not expected to engage in immediate contract extension talks with Young, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Hawks have another name circled as they explore the Trae Young market. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Atlanta has interest in Corey Kispert and would like to land the Wizards sharpshooter if the two teams ultimately complete a deal involving Young.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards took down another playoff-caliber squad on Tuesday night behind a 23-point, seven-rebound, and five-block performance by second-year center Alex Sarr, exemplifying how far the young core has come.
The Wizards are the top team on Trae Young‘s list of preferred destinations, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who stated during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link) that the Hawks have gained some traction in their trade talks with Washington.
The Washington Wizards have been playing some improved basketball as of late, still well below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference but finally resembling a competitive NBA team.
The Philadelphia 76ers look to bounce back from arguably their worst performance of the season Wednesday when the Washington Wizards come to town. The Sixers fell to the Nuggets 125-124 in overtime on Monday despite having virtually their entire team healthy and in uniform.
CJ McCollum scored 27 points and Alex Sarr added 23 to go along with eight rebounds, fueling the host Washington Wizards to a 120-112 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.