Hawks Trade Trae Young to Wizards for CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert
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The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to send four-time All-Star guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, according to multiple league sources.
The deal, reached Wednesday night, ends Young’s seven-plus-season run as the focal point of the Hawks and delivers the 27-year-old to his preferred destination, where he is expected to become Washington’s lead ball-handler.
Why Both Sides Moved
Wizards executives Michael Winger and Will Dawkins had been searching for a franchise cornerstone to accelerate a roster rebuild and believe Young can anchor a young core while reuniting with senior executive Travis Schlenk, the former Hawks decision-maker who acquired him on draft night in 2018.
Atlanta, meanwhile, clears salary-cap space, acquires McCollum’s $30.6 million expiring contract, and adds another rotation shooter in Kispert. The Hawks are expected to pursue a high-priced target—Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis has been identified internally—before a June draft in which they hold the more favorable of New Orleans’ or Milwaukee’s first-round picks.
Financial Impact
Young has $95 million left on his contract through the 2026-27 season, with a player option available. By moving his salary, the Hawks create significant flexibility, while Washington drops roughly $30 million below the luxury-tax threshold, opens a roster spot, and projects to have $46 million in summer cap room.
Season Context
Atlanta sits ninth in the Eastern Conference at 18-21 but was just 2-8 in games Young played. The guard has missed the past six contests with a right quad contusion after battling a right MCL sprain earlier in the year.
Young’s representatives—Aaron Mintz, Drew Morrison and Austin Brown—worked with Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh on the trade after extension talks stalled. “I know you all have questions for me that right now I’m not at liberty to talk about or answer,” head coach Quin Snyder said postgame before league approval of the deal.
Forward Mouhamed Gueye praised Young’s influence. “When I first got here, he was one of the first guys that texted me… An Atlanta legend,” he said.
Player Profiles
Trae Young: 19.3 points and 8.9 assists in 10 games this season; franchise leader in three-pointers (1,295) and assists (4,837); career averages of 25.2 points and 9.8 assists; led the NBA with 11.6 assists last season.
CJ McCollum: 18.8 points, 3.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds while shooting 45.4% from the field and 39.3% from three.
Corey Kispert: 9.2 points per game and 39.5% three-point accuracy in 19 appearances.
Historical Notes and Team Outlooks
Young becomes only the second player since the 1976-77 merger to average at least 25 points for one team in his first 400 career games and be traded before his 500th; Luka Doncic was the first.
The Wizards rank 27th in offensive efficiency and have received the sixth-fewest points (50.0) and fourth-fewest assists (11.9) from their guard rotation this season. McCollum led Washington at 18.6 points per game, with second-year big man Alex Sarr close behind at 17.2. The club is 10-26 and 14th in the East, still seeking its first playoff berth since 2020-21.
Atlanta turns the roster over to emerging players Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher while installing McCollum as a veteran stabilizer.
The trade will become official once the league completes its customary review.
Source: ESPN
