The Atlanta Hawks are sending four-time All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. Young, who averaged 19.3 points and 8.9 assists in 10 games this season despite injuries, reunites with former executive Travis Schlenk and joins a rebuilding Wizards team (10-26) that gains a proven scorer without giving up draft picks.
Atlanta (18-21) pivots to a wing-focused identity around Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and others, adding McCollum’s instant scoring on an expiring deal and Kispert’s perimeter shooting for flexibility.
Young, 27, and his agents have been working with Hawks officials in recent days to find Young a new home. Washington, in rebuilding mode but with some young players who have shown signs of growth, quickly became a realistic option for Young to try and rehabilitate himself, both physically and reputationally.
Young was once a part of Atlanta’s long-term plans, but mounting evidence suggested the Hawks performed better with Young sidelined. From Oct. 31 to Dec. 14, he missed 22 games because of a knee sprain, and the Hawks posted a 13-9 record without him.
Young returned from his knee sprain on Dec. 18 and played five games (in which Atlanta went 0-5) and last played Dec. 27 before suffering a right quadriceps contusion. The sprain, though, is not fully healed, and Washington will give Young as much time as he needs to get completely healthy. He has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
In the wake of the Hawks’ decision not to offer Young a contract extension during the summer or this season, league sources say Young and his representatives identified the Wizards as a promising destination months ago. Not only was Washington in need of a point guard for the future, but Young and his reps saw the franchise’s youth movement and roster flexibility as an opportunity to potentially build a roster that complements his skillset.
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