Trae Young left the Hawks bench with 30 seconds remaining on Wednesday night. He slapped hands with a few fans, walked toward the locker room, and that was it — nearly eight years in Atlanta, gone.
The first major trade of 2026 is official: Young heads to Washington for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. No picks exchanged. Just contracts and a mutual acknowledgment that both sides needed a change.
Why this happened now
The Hawks never offered Young an extension after last season. That tells you everything.
Young is the franchise's all-time leader in assists (4,837) and three-pointers (1,295). He led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. He's a four-time All-Star averaging 25.1 points and 10.8 assists over the past three seasons — the only player in the league to hit those marks consistently.
And yet, the Hawks decided their future was Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher — long, athletic, versatile players who fit a more fluid offensive system.
Young is brilliant. He's also ball-dominant in a way that can limit everyone else. Atlanta went 15-13 in games Young missed this season. That's a -0.4 net rating — basically a .500 team. With him, they were 2-8 before his MCL injury sidelined him.
The numbers don't lie, even when they're uncomfortable.
What Washington gets
A four-time All-Star. An elite offensive engine. A player who can run pick-and-rolls with Alex Sarr, create space for Tre Johnson, and organize an offense that has been chaotic all season.
The Wizards have been patient, accumulating young talent without a clear path to contention. Trading for Young signals a pivot: they're ready to see what their young core looks like with a genuine star running the show.
"We remain in active dialogue with all of our team partners," a Main Street spokesman said — wait, wrong story. Wrong dysfunction. Let's try again.
Washington reunites Young with Travis Schlenk, the executive who originally drafted him in 2018 when he ran the Hawks' basketball operations. That familiarity matters. Schlenk knows what Young needs to succeed.
What Washington gives up
McCollum was averaging 18.8 points this season on 45.4% shooting and 39.3% from three. He's a reliable scorer on an expiring contract worth $30.6 million. He's also 34 and not part of Washington's long-term plans.
Kispert is a solid 3-point shooter on a four-year, $54 million extension signed in 2024. He's been injured this season (fractured thumb), but his floor-spacing ability was specifically valued by the Hawks, per league sources.
Neither player is irreplaceable. That's the point.
The contract situation
Young has $95 million remaining through 2026-27, with a $49 million player option for that final year. The Wizards aren't expected to immediately discuss an extension. Both sides will evaluate how Young fits with the young core first.
That's smart. Washington needs to see how this experiment plays out before committing long-term.
The Knicks angle
Washington's 2026 first-round pick is owed to the Knicks, but it's top-eight protected. Before the trade, the Wizards looked locked into a top-eight finish (they'd be fourth entering the lottery). With an energized Young running the offense, could Washington actually climb into the play-in race?
Probably not. Young has been dealing with knee issues all season, and Washington will use that excuse if they need to keep their pick.
But stranger things have happened.
What this really means
For Atlanta: a new era. Johnson, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, and Risacher form a core that's longer, more versatile, and less dependent on one player creating everything. McCollum provides veteran scoring. Kispert provides shooting. The Pelicans' first-round pick (potentially top-five) provides more ammunition for the rebuild.
For Washington: a calculated risk. Young might elevate the young pieces into something coherent. He might also prove that his ball-dominance limits ceiling in ways Atlanta already learned.
For Young: a fresh start in a city that actually wants him. Sometimes that's enough.
The 2026 trade deadline season is officially open.