The Washington Wizards are reportedly in no hurry to put newly acquired guard Trae Young back on the court, league sources told The Athletic. Executives around the NBA believe the team may limit—or even forgo—Young’s minutes for the remainder of the season.
Young, a four-time All-Star, appeared in only 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to Washington. He remains sidelined with a right quad contusion and lingering MCL issues.
A rival front-office source told ESPN that draft considerations are driving Washington’s conservative stance. The Wizards’ 2026 first-round selection is protected for picks 1-8; if they finish outside the bottom eight, the pick would instead transfer to the New York Knicks. Maintaining one of the league’s eight worst records would allow Washington to keep that first-rounder and send only second-round picks to New York.
“This is what life is like under the lottery system,” the executive said. “One team trades a player because it’s losing too much with him. Another might not play him because it could win too much.”
Washington enters Monday at 10-27, giving the club little short-term incentive to accelerate Young’s recovery. Team officials have framed the trade as a move designed for future seasons, even if that means fans might not see the full payoff until 2026-27.
Source: Hoops Wire
