Well, it actually happened. The Hawks shipped off Trae Young to the Washington Wizards, in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. This deal had been rumored about for the last few days, and it’s finally come to fruition. For the first time in five years, Wizards fans have something to be excited about. Something to look forward to. This trade marks the beginning of a new era, on multiple levels.
Wizards fans finally have something to look forward to. Young is an offense in of himself, a guy capable of dropping 30 points or 10 assists on any given night. He’s elite at what he does, and while he may not be the best defender, this was the perfect trade for the Wizards to make.
Let’s start with the salaries. Young is making $46 million. The Wizards offloaded McCollum’s expiring contract ($30.6 million this year) and the contract of Kispert (~$14 million). That means the Wizards are only taking on about an extra $2 million in salary this year.
Atlanta wanted this deal to happen because it was clear a long-term resolution with Young wasn’t likely. The Hawks hadn’t played well with Young on the court this year (2-8 record), and played decently enough without him, thanks to Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each leveling up their game. Young has a player option for $49 million next season, an option he’s very likely to take. After that, he would be in need of a new contract, something the Hawks didn’t want to commit to.
By trading away young and taking the expiring contract of McCollum, Atlanta has freed up their cap space, and gotten something in return for Young instead of him being unhappy and walking in one or two offseasons. For Washington, they had $80 million in cap space this offseason, and it had to go to someone. It’s incredibly likely Young will opt into his option, which isn’t a problem since all the Wizards’ young talent are still on rookie contracts. In two years, they can either re-sign Young for cheap, or let him walk and build around their more developed youngsters.
Now, let’s look at the on the court fit for the Wizards.
The most important part of this trade: Young is exciting. For a franchise that struggles to put fans in seats, Young will definitely help. He’s in his prime at 27 years old, and the first shifty point guard the Wizards have had since prime Wall. With career averages of 25 points and 10 assists per game, Young will bring offense and excitement to an already young team.
Plus, there’s the wonderful fact that Young is a true point guard. The Wizards haven’t had a point guard this season. McCollum and Bub Carrington have shared playmaking responsibilities, and they are both shooting guards. Kyshawn George ran the point for a while, and while he did it well, he’s clearly a forward. Young is the point guard that the Wizards need, who can get buckets and effectively run an offense.
So, he’s a good fit. But the best part is, having Young won’t keep the Wizards from reaching a top draft pick this upcoming season. Young’s good, as he averages 5-7 win shares per game. But in similar situations to Young when a star player is traded to a tanking team midseason, it doesn’t really affect the team’s win total or chances in the lottery. The real effect from having Young will come next season, with all the Wizards players a year older, and hopefully a top three lottery pick on the roster as well.
The Wizards current young core + Trae Young + AJ Dybantsa/Cam Boozer is going to be a competitive team next season. Alex Sarr and George are already have great seasons, and poised to break out even further next year. If the Wizards do secure that top three pick, this team could genuinely make the second round of the playoffs next year. From there, there’s still issues with the team’s depth and defense that need to be fixed. But, it’s an incredible step in the right direction.
I first became a fan of the Wizards during the 2017-18 season, which was an interesting time. I had just missed the best season in a decade the year prior, 2016-17, which saw Washington make it to the second-round of the playoffs, and push the Boston Celtics to seven games. With a dynamic duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal, the future seemed bright, especially with Kevin Durant rumored to join the team in the offseason.
That, of course, did happen. Durant ended up signing with the Warriors, and the Wizards used all that cap space they had to sign Otto Porter Jr and Ian Mahinmi to ridiculously large contracts. The team I began watching was fun and had its moments, but the aging was apparent. Soon after, the Wall injuries would start, and before I knew it, I was watching Beal and company struggle to try and reach the .500 mark year after year. It was something like three years in a row we ended with the 8th or 9th pick, with the only glimpse of the playoffs coming during that one Russell Westbrook season in 2020-21. Since then, it’s been rough. The team had been bad enough to be a rough watch, but not bad enough to ever land a top pick. I’ve stuck with the team through the thick and thin of that era, and now, with new management in the front office, it’s finally paying off.
The days of mediocrity are gone. In comes a new era of excitement for Washington…an era of hope.
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