Hawks announce Trae Young trade with Wizards: ‘One of the franchise greats’

The deal is now official.

The Hawks confirmed Thursday that they have traded franchise guard Trae Young to the Wizards in exchange for veteran guard CJ McCollum and wing Corey Kispert.

“On behalf of the Hawks franchise, I’d like to thank Trae for how he embraced the city of Atlanta and represented the Hawks during his time here, on the court and in the community,” general manager Onsi Saleh said in a statement. “Over more than seven seasons, including four All-Star appearances, he cemented himself as a fan favorite and one of the great players in our franchise’s history. We wish Trae and his family all the best.

“Adding CJ McCollum, one of the NBA’s most prolific shooters and a respected veteran, along with an established young veteran in Corey Kispert, will strengthen our team on the court and in the locker room, and we retain flexibility for future opportunities to continue building our program.”

No draft picks were included in the transaction. Washington had long been viewed as Young’s preferred destination, giving the 27-year-old a chance to reset with a rebuilding roster built around recent lottery picks.

Young spent more than seven seasons in Atlanta, earning four All-Star selections and leading the league in assists last season at 11.6 per game. His final year with the Hawks was limited to just 10 appearances due to a sprained MCL and a lingering quad contusion.

From Atlanta’s perspective, the move reflects a philosophical shift. The Hawks liked the look of their offense over the past two months built around Jalen Johnson and a deeper rotation, rather than relying on a high-usage, ball-dominant guard. The trade also removes Young’s $49 million player option for 2026–27 from the books and eases pressure surrounding a potential extension.

McCollum arrives on a $30.6 million expiring contract, while Kispert is under team control through 2027–28. Atlanta now holds more than $70 million in expiring salary and could have close to $29 million in cap space this summer, per Spotrac.

The flexibility could matter. League sources have linked Atlanta to Mavericks star Anthony Davis, and the Hawks were believed to be reluctant to carry both Davis’ salary and Young’s long-term money simultaneously.

For Washington, the move signals a pivot. President Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins had been searching for a veteran star to anchor a young core. Young is reunited with Wizards executive Travis Schlenk, who drafted him in Atlanta.

According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, Young shared brief goodbyes with teammates late Wednesday night, exchanging high-fives before heading to the locker room. Coach Quin Snyder declined to comment postgame, citing league protocol before the deal became official.