Four-time All-Star guard Trae Young told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears he learned “a few weeks ago” that the Atlanta Hawks were negotiating a deal to send him to the Washington Wizards, and he views the change as a chance for mutual renewal. “The city can revive me as much as I can revive it,” Young said.
Young, 27, arrives with a $49 million player option for 2026/27 and is immediately eligible for an extension. He stressed that he intends to evaluate the organization and the city before deciding on his long-term future. “Right now, who knows what that would be?” he said. “I want to figure out more about the city … before an extension.”
Front-office stance
General manager Will Dawkins told Josh Robbins of The Athletic that no contract talks have begun with Young or agent Omar Wilkes. The team first wants to see the guard on the court once he recovers from undisclosed injuries. “Our hope is to see him with our guys so he can make a decision going into next summer,” Dawkins said. “We won’t rush him. We want him 100 percent healthy.”
Goals in Washington
During Friday’s introductory press conference, Young said his priority is elevating Washington’s developing core. “When I’m able to be right and get on the court, I want to bring the best out of this team and these young guys … hopefully make an All-Star or two out of some of these other guys,” he stated. Dawkins added that the front office believes Young can achieve that objective.
Long-standing connections
Washington’s front office is familiar territory for the Oklahoma native. Vice president of player personnel Travis Schlenk drafted Young for Atlanta in 2018, and Dawkins has tracked him since the guard was 12. “You see him in different gyms, you know his family, you know what he’s about,” Dawkins said.
Parting with Atlanta
Young admitted he was emotional driving to State Farm Arena ahead of Wednesday’s game, knowing it might be his last as a Hawk. He also acknowledged disappointment that Atlanta never offered an extension, a factor in his exit. Even so, he praised the organization publicly. “It was a dream come true being able to be drafted there,” he said of his six seasons with the Hawks. “Everything I learned there is just going to make me the better player and the better person I need to be for this organization going forward.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
