Trae Young Notes: Wizards’ Statement, Extension, More
After the Hawks officially announced the completion of the Trae Young trade, the Wizards followed suit, issuing a press release to confirm that the deal is official. The team will hold a formal press conference at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Friday to introduce its new point guard.
“We are excited to welcome Trae Young to the Washington Wizards,” general manager Will Dawkins said in a statement. “It is a rare opportunity to acquire a player of Trae’s skill, accomplishments, and age. Trae plays an exciting brand of basketball and brings a level of confidence and competitiveness that has set him apart in this league.”
Young, who revealed (via Twitter) that he’ll wear No. 3 with his new team (Elvin Hayes‘ No. 11 is retired), also published a statement of his own, making his first public comments since news of the trade agreement broke.
“Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal,” Young wrote (via Twitter). “However, between the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn’t make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential. The city that raised me and taught me so much will always be a chapter in this story.
“However, the pain of staying the same eventually outweighed the uncertainty of change. Change is often met with fear, but I see it as another opportunity. I’m walking into his next chapter ecstatic, with my head high and my eyes forward. It’s time to see what’s possible when the support is real and the vision is clear. We move.”
Here’s more on Young in the wake of his move to Washington:
- The Wizards view Young as a “rare intersection of basketball impact and marketability,” writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, citing sources. As Afseth explains, the organization has lacked recognizable stars since moving on from John Wall and Bradley Beal and hopes Young can be that type of figure going forward.
- There’s a strong expectation around the NBA that Young will sign a contract extension with the Wizards sooner or later, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. Afseth suggests that Washington would likely be looking at a three-year deal, adding that it could be worth in the neighborhood of $120MM. That would be the same sort of contract that Brandon Ingram signed after being sent to Toronto in a similar mid-season trade a year ago.
- Like last season’s Ingram trade for the Raptors, this deal is considered a form of “pre-agency” for the Wizards, who project to have significant cap flexibility during the summer and are getting a head-start on their offseason, per Bontemps and Windhorst. ESPN’s duo adds that the Wizards are hopeful that Young’s impact on their young core can be similar to Chris Paul‘s with the Thunder in 2019 or Fred VanVleet‘s with the Rockets in 2023.
- In a mailbag, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tackles a series of questions about the Young trade, including how the 27-year-old guard will impact second-year center Alex Sarr, how Bub Carrington‘s role could change, and whether Young’s presence will affect their 2026 draft plans. Robbins also observes that – while the Wizards are optimistic about a longer-term future with Young – the cost to acquire him was so modest that it won’t be viewed as a disaster if things don’t work out and the two sides ends up parting ways in a year or two.
Hawks Trade Trae Young To Wizards
January 9: The trade is official, the Hawks confirmed today in a press release.
“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,” Hawks 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.”
January 7: The Hawks have reached an agreement to send Trae Young to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). No draft picks are being included in the trade, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Charania reported earlier today that Washington was Young’s preferred destination in a deal. He gets a chance to restart his career as a veteran presence on a young team after spending seven-plus seasons in Atlanta.
Young was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks, including last season when he was the NBA’s assists leader with 11.6 per game. However, he was limited to just 10 games this season after suffering a sprained MCL in late October and a right quad contusion that has kept him out recently.
According to Charania (Twitter link), the Hawks liked the look of their offense over the past two months centered around dynamic forward Jalen Johnson and a collection of wings and depth rather than relying on a ball-dominant guard like Young.
They also get out from under Young’s $49MM player option for 2026/27 and his desire for a contract extension. McCollum is a versatile guard with playoff experience who has a $30.6MM expiring deal, while Kispert is under contract for nearly $14MM this season and next and roughly $13MM in 2027/28.
The salary flexibility could make Atlanta more willing to increase its pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis before the trade deadline. Numerous reports have indicated that the Hawks are interested in acquiring Davis, but didn’t want to have his salary and Young’s on their books at the same time.
Charania points out that the deal reunites Young with Wizards executive Travis Schlenk, a former Hawks general manager who drafted him with the fifth pick in 2018 (Twitter link). Charania adds that team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins have been targeting a veteran star to blend with the young talent they’ve accumulated in recent drafts (Twitter link).
The Hawks no longer project to be over the cap this summer and could have $29MM in cap space, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). With McCollum, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard, Atlanta has more than $70MM in expiring contracts. The acquisition of Young leaves the Wizards with a projected $46MM in cap room, down from about $80MM, assuming he doesn’t opt out and leave in free agency.
The Hawks “heavily valued” Kispert’s three-point shooting and viewed him as a vital part of the deal, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. He has been limited to 19 games this season due to injuries to his thumb and hamstring.
McCollum, who has been a full-time starter in his first season with Washington, provides another proven scorer for the Hawks’ backcourt. He’s not likely to get bought out once the deal is complete, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), because his Bird rights could become useful in an offseason sign-and-trade. If there is a buyout, Gozlan notes that apron teams such as Cleveland, Dallas, Golden State, Minnesota and New York wouldn’t be permitted to sign McCollum.
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), Young left the Hawks’ bench with about 31 seconds left in tonight’s game and gave high-fives to a few of his teammates as he headed to the locker room (YouTube link). At a post-game press conference, coach Quin Snyder told reporters that he’s “not at liberty to talk about or answer” any questions about the Young deal because it hasn’t been officially finalized, per Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).
Pacific Notes: Melton, Horford, Kuminga, Brooks, Sallis
It has been an up-and-down season so far for the Warriors, who haven’t been more than three games over .500 at any point in the first half and currently hold a 20-18 record. However, in the view of Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, the team should still be in good shape if it can consistently get the sort of contributions from “X-factors” that it did in Wednesday’s victory over Milwaukee.
While Stephen Curry was the only member of the starting lineup with a positive net rating on the night, all five reserves used by head coach Steve Kerr achieved that feat. Brandin Podziemski was a +19, Gui Santos was a +12, De’Anthony Melton scored 22 points, and Al Horford contributed eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.
The contributions by Melton and Horford were especially welcome, since the two offseason veteran additions were limited by injuries during the fall and have only recently started producing more consistently as part of the Warriors’ second unit. Draymond Green referred to the duo as “guys that connect our lineups,” while Curry also highlighted their importance.
“Those two guys weren’t available much or at all early in the year, and they’re both trying to find their legs, their rhythm,” Curry said. “But you can see how much of a difference they can make off the bench.”
Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:
- Green became the latest Warriors veteran to praise Jonathan Kuminga for how he has handled his removal from the rotation and his uncertain future, as Dan Dempster of NBC Sports Bay Area details. “Such a standup young man and great person and (he) will be a great player,” Green said, before going on to provide examples of Kuminga’s professionalism. Still, outside of Sacramento, league-wide trade interest in Kuminga has been “tepid,” Poole reports for NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole goes on to say that the relationship between the Warriors and the fifth-year forward remains “cordial” but that their differences don’t appear reconcilable.
- Suns forward Dillon Brooks broke into a smile when asked this week about Mat Ishbia‘s assertion that Brooks is “not going anywhere,” as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays (Twitter video link). Responding to a tweet suggesting a Brooks/Austin Reaves swap, the Suns’ owner said “don’t bother calling” because his team isn’t interested. “He’s been saying I’m going to be a longtime Phoenix Sun. I appreciate it,” said Brooks, who is under contract through 2026/27 and will be extension-eligible during the offseason.
- Hunter Sallis, an undrafted rookie out of Wake Forest who appeared in seven games while on a two-way contract with Philadelphia earlier this season, has joined the San Diego Clippers, the G League team announced (via Twitter). As Law Murray of The Athletic points out (via Twitter), Sallis is James Harden‘s cousin.
Trade Rumors: Morant, Ball, Bucks, Kings, Kuminga
The Hawks‘ return for a four-time All-Star like Trae Young may look awfully modest, but a scout who spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic suggests it may be equally difficult for other teams with defensively limited point guards to extract real value for them. That group includes the Grizzlies with Ja Morant and the Hornets with LaMelo Ball.
“Ja, Trae and LaMelo don’t have that much value because the game has changed around them,” that scout said.
According to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, rival executives have conveyed a similar sentiment, pointing to Young’s maximum-salary contract and the league-wide depth at the point guard spot as reasons why they think Atlanta made out reasonably well in the deal. Conversely, some of those execs questioned the Wizards‘ decision to trade for Young.
“I know from a value proposition why you look at it,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “But if I’m the Wizards, just keep being bad, and stuff will figure itself out. I’m not sure why they felt the need to do this.”
“Offense is so easy now,” a Western Conference executive added. “One of the worst teams in the league can still easily put up 115 points in a game. … It’s hard for these small point guards to have real value with how the game is played now.”
We have more trade notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- While the Bucks have been connected to multiple Kings players, including Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, there were no active discussions between the two teams as of earlier this week, league sources tell Amick. Amick also confirms that the Bucks are among many teams believed to have interest in Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and that they’ve conveyed interest in Anthony Davis, though they don’t appear to have a realistic path to a deal for the Mavericks big man.
- Checking in on the Jonathan Kuminga situation, Amick writes that the Kings are still widely viewed as the frontrunner to acquire the Warriors forward, but are no longer willing to offer the protected 2030 first-round pick that was on the table during the offseason, echoing a similar report from ESPN. Additionally, since Golden State has registered no real interest in Sacramento’s veterans, a third team may be necessary to make a deal that gets Kuminga to the Kings, Amick adds.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram suggest six hypothetical trades they think make sense for all involved parties, with cap expert Bobby Marks analyzing each proposal. Their ideas range from bigger moves like the Bucks getting Porter or the Warriors landing Trey Murphy III to more minor deals like the Raptors acquiring Brook Lopez.
Northwest Notes: Topic, Blazers, Nnaji, Wolves, Harkless
Misko Raznatovic, the agent for Thunder guard Nikola Topic, shared an update on his client, telling the Serbian-based outlet Arena Sport TV that Topic has successfully completed chemotherapy to treat his testicular cancer, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.
“The chemotherapy was successfully completed, and he is now returning to the training process, although he was active during the therapy as well,” Raznatovic said. “It’s hard to pinpoint a timeline, but I sincerely hope he gets minutes this year, not only in the G League but on the NBA floor as well, if everything goes the way it is right now.”
Word broke in October that Topic, a 2024 lottery pick who missed his entire rookie season due to an ACL injury, had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and was undergoing treatment. As Raznatovic acknowledges, there’s still no timeline for the 20-year-old to make his NBA debut, but this is a major positive development.
We have more from around the Northwest:
- The Trail Blazers intend to present a proposal to the Oregon state legislature next month to have all state income taxes from players and team employees (for both the Blazers and visiting teams) redirected from Oregon’s general fund to a $600MM renovation project for the Moda Center, reports Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required). One source who spoke to Oram about the proposal suggested it would help “guarantee the Blazers’ future” in Portland.
- Nuggets forward/center Zeke Nnaji hasn’t developed like the team hoped since signing a four-year, $32MM contract extension in October 2023, but with centers Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas sidelined, Nnaji has been giving the team solid minutes at the five, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Nnaji, who has five steals and six blocked shots in his past three games, is playing “amazing” defense, according to teammate Jamal Murray — head coach David Adelman didn’t disagree. “I don’t remember him moving this well,” Adelman said after Wednesday’s win over Boston. “…He guarded everybody in this game, because we were switching. Just cool to see him have some success. Obviously, he hasn’t been in the rotation.”
- The streaking Timberwolves have won four games in a row and now hold a top-four spot in the Western Conference. In a pair of stories for The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski examines the impact of center Rudy Gobert, writing that the big man is playing as well as he ever played in Minnesota, and notes that Anthony Edwards reached the 10,000-point mark on Thursday. Edwards was the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach that plateau, behind only LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
- Two-way player Elijah Harkless has appeared in just seven games for the Jazz so far this season and hasn’t seen any NBA action since November 18, but he has been thriving in the G League. Harkless was named the NBAGL’s Player of the Month for December after he averaged 28.3 points and 5.2 assists per game, per the league (Twitter link).
Mavs’ Anthony Davis Suffers Left Hand Injury Thursday
Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis suffered a left hand injury late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s two-point loss at Utah. The injury appeared to occur when he was defending Lauri Markkanen on a drive (Twitter video link).
Despite clearly being bothered, Davis initially said he was OK to stay in the game, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, before checking out with 2:08 remaining. The 32-year-old was “doubled over in pain” in the tunnel of the arena and did not return, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
“He hurt his left hand. That’s all we had,” head coach Jason Kidd said after the game (Twitter link via Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal).
The five-time All-NBA big man finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes as Dallas fell to 14-24.
Backup guard Brandon Williams was also forced to leave Thursday’s loss early due to an illness, the Mavs announced (via Twitter). The 26-year-old had scored in double figures in five consecutive games heading into Thursday, averaging 19.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 3.4 APG in 27.0 MPG over that span, but was limited to two points in just under nine minutes tonight.
Trade Rumors: Davis, Hawks, Raptors, Zion, Bulls
ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Hawks were considered likely to remain in pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis after clearing Trae Young‘s salary from their books for next season. However, a Davis deal between the two teams looks unlikely at this juncture, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.
While Atlanta has a level of interest in Davis, the team has been unwilling to part with either Zaccharie Risacher or the prized 2026 first-round pick the team controls (better of Pelicans’ or Bucks’) in talks for the 10-time All-Star, Afseth writes. I’d be very surprised if that 2026 first-rounder is ever made available under any circumstances, let alone for an oft-injured star in his 30s like Davis, so a potential trade may hinge on whether the Hawks change their stance on Risacher.
Several reports have stated Davis is looking for a contract extension in the offseason, but the Mavs aren’t making any promises on that front, according to Afseth. The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Davis’ camp aren’t convinced Dallas is interested in an extension and wouldn’t mind trying to get him to a team more likely to pursue a new deal.
Here are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca confirms the Raptors have conveyed “exploratory interest” in Davis, but he’s skeptical that a trade will be consummated (Twitter video link). As Lewenberg explains, Toronto’s outgoing salary in a two-team deal with Dallas for Davis would probably consist of RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, and if that were the case, the Mavericks would likely want multiple first-round picks in the deal. The Raptors have shown a willingness to take buy-low swings on stars with lengthy injury histories in the past, Lewenberg adds, but giving up two or three first-rounders for Davis wouldn’t qualify as buying low.
- As for what moves look likely for the Raptors, getting below the luxury tax line is a priority, according to Lewenberg, who continues to hear Ochai Agbaji is a potential salary-dump candidate, though he acknowledges the team would likely have to attach a sweetener or two in such a deal. Lewenberg points to Daniel Gafford (Mavericks) and Goga Bitadze (Magic) as a couple of centers to keep an eye on, but says the Raptors have also been happy with the development of Collin Murray-Boyles and don’t want to impede the rookie big man’s progress. Overall, a significant Raptors trade looks more likely to occur in the offseason than before the February 5 deadline, Lewenberg adds.
- On the “Clutch Scoops” show (Twitter video link), Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints said the Bulls are a potential suitor for Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. “Keep a close eye on the [Bulls] maybe pursuing Zion Williamson. … I’ve heard that there’s been some smoke there about Chicago scouting New Orleans in recent weeks and Zion would be the ideal buy-low candidate for a team like the Bulls who have a lot of expiring contracts,” Siegel said.
Heat-Bulls Game Postponed Due To Court Conditions
8:55 pm: As expected, the game has been postponed after the court was deemed unplayable due to moisture, the NBA announced (via Twitter). The date for the rescheduled game is to be determined and will be announced in the future, per the league.
8:49 pm: The start of Thursday’s Heat–Bulls game in Chicago was delayed due to moisture on the court at the United Center, per The Associated Press.
Tip-off was originally scheduled for 7:00 pm CT, but the game was delayed after several players noticed slick spots on the court during warmups, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, which also compete at the United Center, played on Wednesday and the ice is below the court. It’s unseasonably warm (mid-50s Fahrenheit) in Chicago and raining heavily as well, which contributed to the excess moisture on the court.
According to Joel Lorenzi and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the ice beneath the court is actually melting, with humidity inside the arena nearly double its typical percentage for a basketball game as of 7:30 pm CT.
Maintenance personnel at the United Center attempted to dry the court with towels and mops, but it seemed to have no effect. It has been nearly two hours and the game seems likely to be postponed.
Injury Notes: Morant, Holiday, Nance, H. Jones, Leonard
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will miss his fourth straight game on Friday vs. Oklahoma City due to a right calf contusion, the team announced (via Twitter). As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets, Morant had been listed as questionable before being downgraded to out over the three previous games.
Rookie wing Cedric Coward, who sprained his right ankle on Sunday vs. Los Angeles and has missed the past two-and-a-half games, is questionable to suit up against the Thunder. Fourth-year guard Vince Williams Jr., who has been sidelined for nine of Memphis’ last 10 games due to patellar tendinitis in his left knee, is also questionable.
Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday is unlikely to play against Houston on Friday after being listed as doubtful (Twitter link via Portland). However, that injury designation suggests the six-time All-Defensive member’s return may not be far off — it’s the first time Holiday has been listed as anything other than “out” for seven weeks, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. The two-time champion has been on the shelf since November 14 due to a right calf strain.
- After missing nearly six weeks with a Grade 1 right soleus (calf) strain, Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr. was upgraded to available for Thursday’s contest vs. Minnesota, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor writes, Nance has been ramping up his activity in recent weeks and received medical clearance to return on Thursday, but it’s unclear if he’ll immediately rejoin the team’s rotation.
- Pelicans forward Herbert Jones recently missed seven consecutive games with a right ankle sprain, returned to play 35 minutes on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, then sat out Wednesday’s back-to-back at Atlanta. Evidently Wednesday’s absence wasn’t just for precautionary reasons — New Orleans’ top defender is doubtful to suit up on Friday at Washington due to the same ankle injury, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Trey Murphy III, who has been battling lower back spasms, is questionable to suit up against the Wizards.
- Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard suffered a right ankle sprain in the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss at New York and has been listed as questionable for Friday’s contest in Brooklyn, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). The six-time All-Star missed 10 straight games in November due to right foot/ankle injuries, Murray notes. Leonard has made 26 appearances thus far in 2025/26.
Hawks Reportedly Interested In Extending CJ McCollum
The Hawks value veteran combo guard CJ McCollum as more than just an expiring contract, according to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com, who hears from sources that Atlanta has discussed the idea of offering the 34-year-old a one-year extension worth around $20MM.
McCollum, who is being traded to Atlanta along with Corey Kispert in the move that will send Trae Young to the Wizards, is earning $30.67MM in 2025/26, which is the final season of his current deal.
Although McCollum has been in the NBA since 2013, he has technically never been a free agent, agreeing to three different contract extensions over the span of his career. It’s unclear if he’d prefer to test free agency in 2026 or potentially sign a short-term deal at some point after he’s officially traded to the Hawks.
According to Afseth, Atlanta views McCollum as a complementary ball-handler and scorer alongside the team’s young core. The team also likes his ability to play both on and off the ball, Afseth writes.
McCollum started each of the Wizards’ first 35 contests, averaging 18.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds on .454/.393/.804 shooting in 30.9 minutes per game. He was in his first season with Washington after being acquired in an offseason trade with New Orleans.
A potential one-year extension with McCollum would allow the Hawks to maintain long-term financial flexibility while theoretically improving their chances at staying competitive in the short term, Afseth notes.