The Atlanta Hawks have officially moved on from the Trae Young era. Atlanta traded Trae to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Charania reported earlier in the week that Young’s representatives and the Hawks were working on a trade. It didn’t take long, despite reports that suitors for Trae were limited.
Headed to the Hawks in the deal are guards CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, according to Charania’s sources.
Young’s 2025-26 NBA season has been marred by injuries thus far, limiting him to just 10 games. Averaging 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game, his production reflects a dip from career norms, with shooting splits at 41.5 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three.
Story continues below advertisement
A right MCL sprain sidelined Trae for 21 games early on, followed by a return for six contests before a right quadriceps contusion forced him to miss the last five, including Atlanta’s matchup against New Orleans on January 7. Despite the setbacks, Young showed flashes of brilliance, such as a 35-point outburst against Chicago on December 21 and 30 points versus Miami on December 26.
Over his eight-year career, all with Atlanta, Young has established himself as an offensive dynamo, boasting averages of 25.2 points, 9.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds across 493 games. Drafted fifth overall in 2018, he’s earned four All-Star nods and guided Atlanta to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.
Known for his dazzling handles, deep-range shooting, and elite vision, Young has consistently ranked among the league’s top assist leaders, though defensive shortcomings and turnover rates have drawn criticism at times.
Story continues below advertisement
Featured image via Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
