Wizards could pull an unusual move with Trae Young

Washington Wizards fans might stunningly have to wait another nine months to see Trae Young actually suit up for their team.

The Wizards made the blockbuster move on Wednesday night to acquire the four-time All-Star point guard Young from the Atlanta Hawks. The move ended Young’s tenure in Atlanta after seven-and-a-half seasons.

On Thursday, Wizards writer Josh Robbins of The Athletic made a surprising revelation about Young and the Wizards. Robbins says that he would be “surprised” if Young plays much for the Wizards, if at all.

Young, 27, is currently sidelined with a quad injury. The former All-NBA selection is obviously a tremendous floor-raiser. But that might not benefit the Wizards much at this point since they are a brutal 10-26 on the year (14th in the Eastern Conference). With at least four elite talents projected to be at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft (Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson), the incentive is incredibly strong for Washington to simply pull the plug on the 2025-26 season.

While rare, there is some precedent for former All-Stars never playing in a game for their new team during the season in which they were acquired. For one, the Toronto Raptors acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans at last season’s NBA trade deadline, and he did not play in a single game for Toronto that year. As a result, the Raptors went 30-52 but were able to land a top-10 pick in the ensuing draft (selecting Collin Murray-Broyles). Now Toronto sits at 23-15 this season, which is fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Young is signed for $46 million this season and holds a $49 million player option for next season. While that means Young could hypothetically leave Washington this summer, the Wizards probably feel strongly about their chances of an extension considering Young’s strong feelings for them.