TITLE: Trae Young Says Goodbye to Hawks, Looks Ahead to Wizards With “Ecstatic” Outlook
SLUG: trae-young-excited-join-wizards-after-hawks-trade
CONTENT:
WASHINGTON — Four-time All-Star guard Trae Young broke his silence Thursday after being dealt from the Atlanta Hawks to the Washington Wizards, calling the move a welcome fresh start.
In a statement posted on X, the 25-year-old thanked Atlanta for “raising me and teaching me so much,” but admitted that lingering injuries, setbacks and “situations that didn’t make sense” kept the Hawks from reaching their full potential. “I’m walking into this next chapter ecstatic, with my head high and my eyes forward,” Young wrote.
The trade sends Young to Washington in exchange for veterans CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. League sources said Atlanta had gauged Young’s market value since last offseason, and talks on a contract extension never gained momentum.
Young appeared in only 10 games this season because of injuries, averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists. He is earning $45.9 million in 2024-25 and holds a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign, which could allow him to enter free agency that summer.
Drafted fifth overall in 2018, Young guided the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021, but the franchise has not won a playoff series since that run. Washington, meanwhile, has missed the postseason every year since 2021 and views Young as a centerpiece capable of accelerating its rebuild.
“It’s time to see what’s possible when the support is real and the vision is clear,” Young added in his farewell note. “We move.”
Source: Hoops Wire
