Winners and losers in the Trae Young trade to Washington
This was a win-win trade.
How big those wins will be will depend on many factors yet to be determined: Can Atlanta use its newfound financial flexibility to land Anthony Davis or another star this offseason? Can Trae Young stay healthy and fill the role of veteran leader and mentor that a young team needs? — but this is a trade that made sense for pretty much everyone involved. There aren’t many losers in this deal.
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Let’s break down the winners and losers of this deal. We will start by exposing the trade.
Washington receives: Trae Young
Atlanta receives: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert
Note: There are no choices involved in this exchange. Although the players involved in this deal were agreed upon relatively quickly, league sources told NBC Sports that part of the delay in finalizing the trade was due to both sides believing they should receive draft pick compensation. Atlanta thought they deserved it because they were giving up the best player in the deal, an All-Star-caliber point guard (when healthy) in his prime. Washington thought he deserved compensation for accepting an extra year (a $48.9 million option that Young is expected to pick up) of a contract that Atlanta wanted to offload. Ultimately, the parties agreed to conclude the exchange with no options.
Winner: Washington Wizards
Washington is a winner here, not simply because they got a four-time All-Star and an elite offensive player to organize and lead its young core, but it’s because they got him for practically nothing. McCollum is out of contract and is not part of Washington’s future. While Kispert is a quality wing rotation player and sharpshooter, he is not part of their core.
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It’s easy to imagine how a healthy Young could elevate a young Wizards core: Alex Sarr will benefit from pick-and-rolls with Young (plus Young can throw a post-entry pass, something the current Wizards struggle with), Tre Johnson will run plays for him off the ball where he can find more space and Young will find it, Kyshawn George has help in ball handling and across the board. Young hasn’t been healthy this season, a knee issue has limited him to 10 games (and clearly messed with his shooting), but the potential is there.
THE WARNING: Washington will only win if they retain Trae Young’s extension. Part of what Young’s agents were looking for in a landing spot was a team willing to talk about an extension, but Washington needs to see how Young fits in with their young stars, then see who they get in this draft and not extend him until the 2027 offseason. If Young is a perfect fit and everything works out, they can re-sign him (not at the max, more under $40 million per season), but if not, the Wizards need to be prepared to stick with their young guys and move on.
Loser: Washington Wizards defense
Washington has the 29th-ranked defense in the NBA this season. Trae Young is a downfield defender (to put it kindly). Washington will be a lot more fun to watch with Young running the show, but they won’t stop anyone. It’s going to get ugly.
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Winner: Atlanta Hawks
It was time to move on.
That’s why this is a win for Atlanta, it’s a necessary linchpin for a young, long, athletic and fluid core of a team that is truly the future. Jalen Johnson should be an All-Star this season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is having a breakout season and is a top two guard, plus they have Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu and others. On top of all that, they have the Pelicans’ first-round pick in June’s draft (a pick that could very well be a top-five pick). Atlanta has prepared for the future.
This trade also gives the Hawks financial flexibility. They can use that trade for Dallas’ Anthony Davis — the Hawks have reportedly been his most aggressive suitor — or they could wait until this offseason and see if they can add one more star player on the timeline of their young core (rather than a 32-year-old with an injury history). Whatever they choose, with CJ McCollum and Kristaps Porzingis coming off the books, Atlanta will have at least $32 million in cap space to reshape their roster next offseason. All that money makes it easier to move on.
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Winner: Wizards fan
Washington has been tough on control for a couple of years. While they have good young players like Sarr and Johnson, this team lacked a more casual player that fans could rally around. They needed someone to sell tickets.
Trae Young sells tickets. Tray Young wows fans. Young running the Wizards’ offense with all that athleticism around him will be a lot of fun – and Wizards fans will get it.
Washington gave its fans someone to root for. This is important.
Perhaps the winner: New York Knicks
Washington owes its 2026 first-round pick to the New York Knicks, but is a top-eight protector. Before Wednesday night, that seemed irrelevant. The young wizards were learning on the job and were destined for a high lottery seed (ranked fourth in the lottery at the time of the trade).
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With an energetic Trae Young running the show, could the Wizards light up and start climbing the East standings, maybe make the play-in and end up trading their pick to the Knicks?
Probably not. Young has battled knee issues all season and Washington will use him if needed. Even if Young starts playing for them soon, don’t be surprised if the Wizards sideline him with an injury with plenty of time left in the season: Washington needs more elite talent on the roster and this draft is the best way to get it. Save the test with Young for next season.
However, Knicks fans can dream.