Trae Young is officially the newest member of the Washington Wizards. Yes, you read that correctly. The Atlanta Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards on January 7th, 2026. In return, the Hawks received C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert. Trae Young’s camp had been working tirelessly with the Hawks organization for days to find a solution that would ship the superstar guard out of Atlanta. The details of the trade are somewhat perplexing. It is strange that the Hawks did not receive any draft picks in the deal. On the other hand, why would the Wizards trade for a veteran star whose timeline does not exactly align with a team in the middle of a rebuilding phase? All in all, this move stands as one of the most shocking headlines of the NBA season.
Atlanta Hawks Send Trae Young to Washington Wizards, Acquire Corey Kispert and C.J. McCollum
How the Trade Benefits the Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are officially turning the page to a new era. Jalen Johnson is emerging as the next premier three-and-D star in the Association. Additionally, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging a career-best 20.4 points per game and receiving more on-ball opportunities than he ever did with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It should also be noted that the Hawks have posted a significantly better record without Trae Young this season. The team is 2–8 with Young in the lineup, compared to a 16–13 record when he has been inactive.
This disparity serves as a telling signal that it was time for Atlanta to embrace a new future. While the Hawks did not receive any draft picks in exchange for their franchise player, the direction they were already heading without him appeared promising. Perhaps the most important aspect of this deal is that Atlanta was able to move off Young’s $49 million salary. As a result, the Hawks will enter next offseason with approximately $30 million in cap space. Considering all of this, one should not be overly critical of Atlanta for failing to secure draft picks in this deal.
The Potential Impact Trae Young Will Have on the Wizards
Trae Young’s fit with the current Wizards roster is somewhat questionable. However, Washington is one of the few teams capable of absorbing Young’s $49 million salary, as the majority of its roster consists of young, inexpensive talent. Still, Young has been sidelined for much of the season due to injuries. It is difficult to envision the Wizards fully committing to building around a ball-dominant Trae Young for the foreseeable future.
On the flip side, Young remains one of the league’s elite playmakers. His presence could allow Washington’s younger players to flourish by creating easier scoring opportunities and improving offensive efficiency. Even with these potential benefits, many NBA peers are justified in their skepticism regarding this trade. Ultimately, only time will tell whether this bold move pays off for either franchise.
