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Trae Young Is a Washington Wizard, but What’s Next?

Originally posted on The Lead | By Ethan Weinstein | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 5:44 PM ET

Will Dawkins has made his biggest move since the Bradley Beal/Chris Paul trade to open his tenure.

Under pressure of competing next season, Washington has traded long-term Wizard Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum for four-time All-Star Trae Young.

Even though they completed the trade, the Wizards still have a couple of big decisions to make surrounding Young in the coming months.

Washington’s 2026 Plans

How much will Trae Young play this season?

He has been dealing with a quad contusion that he suffered after an MCL sprain. Though the Hawks played it safe with his injuries, the Wizards won’t risk any setbacks for their star guard, whom they just invested in.

Young already missed his first available game due to the same quad injury.

The Wizards’ main plan this year is to continue tanking. Washington’s pick will only convey to them if it falls within the top eight. That requires the Wizards to finish with a bottom-four record to guarantee they will keep their pick.

Washington currently has the fourth-worst record, but has recently played their best basketball of the season. Adding a fully unlocked Trae to a blossoming squad may cause too much success for Washington’s long-term plans.

The Wizards almost blew a Massive lead, but they held on for a 120-112 win over the Magic. G-Wiz waves the W flag.

Alex Sarr finished with 24 points, 8 Rebs, 4 blocks, and 3 AST. McCollum scored 27 points.

Wizards now 7-5 in their last 12. pic.twitter.com/RSLAbubXvN

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) January 7, 2026

Trae Young’s Future Outlook

The first few months of next season could be Young’s tryout to be the franchise point guard. Will Dawkins and management may be slower to give Young the big extension he is likely looking for, especially given his league-wide trade value is so low.

When on the court, he will have complete control, being the best player on this Wizards squad and someone who will elevate the supporting pieces. The Oklahoma product has always been a premier offensive engine, averaging over 25 points and nearly 10 assists in his eight-year career.

Trae Young with the Hawks:

– 25.2 PPG
– 9.8 APG
– 493 Games
– 4× NBA All-Star
– All-NBA Third Team
– All-Rookie First Team
– Led NBA in Assists (2021–22)
– Eastern Conference Finals appearance (2021)
– One of only 3 players in NBA history to average 25+ PPG & 9+ APG pic.twitter.com/zX5HezmPsa

— Hoops Alerts (@TheHoopsAlerts) January 7, 2026

Young’s possible extension likely wouldn’t last past 2028-29. Dawkins must time his contract with Tre Johnson and the potential contract for the 2026 pick under the stricter cap rules.

Once on the court, Trae Young will be repping the #3. He wore this number in his first year of high school before switching to #11 for the rest of high school, college, and the NBA.

Young becomes the second player to wear #3, after CJ McCollum, since Bradley Beal was traded to Phoenix. This comes in the same week that Beal’s former backcourt mate, John Wall, had a career-celebration bobblehead announced, and rumors that Wall’s jersey will be retired have begun circulating.

Young’s time with the Wizards will be intriguing, and time will tell if Washington has found their point guard of the future.

This article first appeared on The Lead and was syndicated with permission.

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