The End of an Era: Trae Young Traded to Wizards as Hawks Pivot to the Future

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Just days after it was announced that the Atlanta Hawks would be working with point guard Trae Young and his agents on a trade, the Hawks guard has been traded to the Washington Wizards in what many have already called a salary dump. In the trade, the Atlanta Hawks send the four-time All-Star to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The trade sees Young’s time in Atlanta come to an end after seven and a half seasons.

The End of an Era in Atlanta

Young’s departure marks the close of a definitive chapter in Hawks history. Over 493 regular-season games, he was an offensive engine, averaging 25.2 points and 9.8 assists. His peak arrived in 2021, when he led a surprising Hawks squad to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, despite three playoff appearances between 2021 and 2023, the organization struggled to build a consistent contender around his high-usage style.

The “beginning of the end” became apparent before the 2025–26 season when the Hawks opted not to offer Young a contract extension. That tension was exacerbated by on-court results this year; while Young dealt with an early-season injury, the Hawks posted a 15–13 record in his absence. In contrast, the team went just 2–8 in the ten games he played.

Currently sidelined with a quadriceps injury, Young’s final performance in a Hawks jersey was a difficult outing against the New York Knicks on December 27th, where he recorded 9 points, 10 assists, and 6 turnovers.

A Complicated Legacy

Young leaves Atlanta as the franchise leader in three-point field goals (1,295) and assists (4,837). While team success was often elusive, his individual brilliance as a playmaker and floor spacer remains undisputed.

In Washington, Young enters the early stages of a deep rebuild. He joins a youthful core featuring:

Alex Sarr (2024 #1 overall pick)
Kyshawn George
Bilal Coulibaly

While the Wizards possess significant promise, they remain years away from true contention, and Young will be tasked with providing veteran leadership and elite playmaking for their developing bigs.

What Atlanta Gains

For the Hawks, the return is about flexibility and fit:

CJ McCollum: The 13-year veteran has been productive this season, averaging 18.6 PPG and 3.6 APG. With his contract set to expire this summer, Atlanta can either use his veteran poise for a playoff push or flip him for further assets before the deadline.
Corey Kispert: The fifth-year forward provides much-needed floor spacing, having averaged 9.2 PPG this season while shooting efficiently from deep.

Neither team included draft capital in the move, reinforcing the idea that this was a “reset” for both sides.

Looking Forward: The Next Domino?

With the 2026 trade deadline less than a month away, this move feels like the first of many. Atlanta now pivots toward a young, defensive-minded core of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu. They also hold the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2026 first-round pick, which is currently tracking toward the top three.

Rumors also suggest the Hawks may not be done; the team has been heavily linked to Dallas Mavericks superstar Anthony Davis. If Atlanta can leverage their new-found cap flexibility to land another “Big Fish,” the Trae Young trade may be remembered as the move that finally cleared the runway for a new era of Hawks basketball.