NBA Makes Punishment Decision on Trae Young Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sami Haider | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 5:40 PM ET

Trae Young just made a strange kind of NBA history. On Monday night, he was ejected from a Washington Wizards game without having played a single second for the team.

The Wizards acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 9 in a major trade for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Since arriving, he hasn’t been able to suit up while recovering from an MCL sprain and a quad injury that have kept him out since late December.

Before Monday, his stat line as a Wizard was all zeros: no points, no assists, and no rebounds. That changed during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets . After Rockets forward Tari Eason shoved Wizards guard Jamir Watkins, Young ran onto the court to argue with the referees. Unfortunately, he was tossed immediately.

Trae Young during Washington Wizards warm up Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Under NBA Rule No. 12, Section VII, bench players are prohibited from entering the court during altercations, with violations carrying at least a one-game suspension and a fine of up to $50,000. With his possible debut already scheduled for Thursday against the Utah Jazz, a suspension could have pushed that timeline back further.

But the 27-year-old got lucky this time. Officials classified the incident as "running on the court" rather than a "bench-clearing" violation or physical escalation, which typically triggers an automatic suspension.

Young wasted no time sharing the good news on Instagram story, penning, "No suspension, we good! ❄️"

He also addressed Washington fans directly on X, noting, "Don't expect me to get ejected too many more times D.C. but I'm definitely bringing that energy & competitiveness when I'm back for my brothers!"

After 65 days on the sidelines, the four-time All-Star is finally set to play against the Jazz. With the Wizards currently sitting at 16-44, delaying his debut by one more game wouldn't have impacted their season much, but it would have been a dark mark on his career. Fortunately, the league decided against a suspension.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: