Trae Young got his wish and is heading to Washington to join the Wizards, Shams Charania reports.
In the middle of the Hawks-Pelicans game with Trae on the bench, the news dropped – The Hawks trading four-time All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
“Top Washington officials Michael Winger and Will Dawkins have searched for an anchor for their burgeoning young talent, and the franchise believes the trade is the next step in the organization’s development process amid a rebuild. It also reunites Young with the Wizards executive, Travis Schlenk, who brought him to Atlanta in a draft-night deal in 2018,” Shams says.
Trae Young dapping up the staff and DC Youngfly after the trade news https://t.co/kFFRvzyMZT pic.twitter.com/P4zlSJFJYx
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) January 8, 2026
Young has $95 million remaining on his deal through the 2026-27 season, with a player option over the summer.
After acquiring the guard, the Wizards will move $30 million below the luxury tax, open a roster spot to continue pursuing further moves and assets, and clear a massive $46 million in cap room for the summer.
“I know you all have questions for me that right now I’m not at liberty to talk about or answer,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said after Wednesday’s win, since the trade hadn’t approved by the league yet.
Young could be seen shaking hands with Atlanta coaches on the sideline, the deal all but shored up.
Trae Young dapping up the staff and DC Youngfly after the trade news https://t.co/kFFRvzyMZT pic.twitter.com/P4zlSJFJYx
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) January 8, 2026
Hawks power forward Mouhamed Gueye said he didn’t know during the game that the trade news had become public and was very complimentary of Young after the game.
“That’s T.Y. That’s Trae Young,” Gueye said. “When I first got here, he was one of the first guys that texted me, welcoming me to the city, gave me a lot of advice. Obviously, playing with Trae, as a big, is like a dream come true. I love him as a guy, I love him as a teammate. … An Atlanta legend.”
Trae averaged 26.5 points and 10.2 assists across six seasons, led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021, and powered multiple top-tier offenses.
Still, the Hawks mostly topped out as first-round fodder, and have consistently struggled defensively with Young on the floor.
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