Hawks Notes: Future, Elimination, Snyder, Offseason
The Hawks were humbled by the Knicks on Thursday, losing the deciding Game 6 at home by 51 points. Although obviously disappointed with Thursday’s result, general manager Onsi Saleh was pleased with the progress the team made throughout 2025/26 and he told the players on Friday that they have plenty of room for growth, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required).
“The best version of ourselves is yet to come,” Saleh said. “I think everybody is really pissed off, frustrated from yesterday, and that’s a good thing. You got to take that, internalize that, understand what the summer entails.
“You feel that experience against those guys, and this is what the playoffs look like, and a lot of our guys have not done it, especially in their roles. So everybody was focused, I would say. There’s a focus for next season already for our group, and that’s going to be super exciting.”
As Williams notes, the Hawks control two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, including one in the lottery. Saleh said the team will take a best-player-available approach to those selections.
“We’re not one player away from this,” Saleh said. “The best iteration of this team is going to be through development and our players currently getting better. We’re really excited about the future and what holds there, with the draft to the flexibility moving forward, all that stuff. We’re in a good place (and) position, set up moving forward.”
Here’s more from Atlanta:
- Jake Fischer of The Stein line recently reported that the Hawks are open to extending head coach Quin Snyder, who’s entering the final year of his contract. Saleh praised Snyder during Friday’s media session, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com. “He has been an unbelievable partner in all of this, and it has been so nice, just having a partner who you’re so aligned with. It makes it easy,” Saleh said. “I understand the types of players that work for him and understand the types of guys that make sense for us as an organization, and we always have healthy dialogue. We talk every day. He’s unbelievable.”
- Maura Carey of The Associated Press relays some quotes from Snyder, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson following Thursday’s loss, which eliminated Atlanta from the playoffs. “This is a big learning experience, not only for myself, but just everybody in general. And I’m going to take a lot from this and continue to get better from it,” All-Star forward Johnson said. “We’re growing. We’re going to grow from this. We’re going to definitely be better from it.”
- John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the Hawks’ offseason, predicting that the team will probably look to trade either Zaccharie Risacher or Corey Kispert this summer after both played very modest roles in the first-round series vs. New York. The Hawks will have a lot of financial flexibility this offseason and could go in a number of different directions, but Hollinger expects the team to operate over the cap rather than with room. ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews Atlanta’s offseason as well, writing that figuring out what to do with CJ McCollum (unrestricted free agent) and Jonathan Kuminga ($24.3MM team option) will be top priorities for the front office.
Hawks Notes: McCollum, Kuminga, Midseason Trades, NAW
Hawks general manager Onsi Salah was a long-time admirer of CJ McCollum and was happy to acquire him in the January deal that sent Trae Young to Washington, but Salah admits to Howard Beck of The Ringer that he had no idea McCollum would emerge as a playoff force. The veteran guard is the main reason that Atlanta holds a 2-1 lead over New York, averaging 27 points per game in the series and hitting a game-winning jumper late in Game 3.
“I’m not surprised with his confidence and his ability to do what he’s doing,” Saleh said. “I just didn’t expect the efficiency — like, everything has been so good, and he’s just taken over the series, and in such a dramatic way. It eases the pressure on some of our guys. It helps us understand how to win playoff games, which is a skill. He understands tempo and pace and mismatches and who to go at, who not to go at, clock situations, all that stuff he’s been phenomenal with.”
Beck notes that it didn’t feel like a major trade when it happened, as the Hawks were trying to find a new home for Young so they could retool around their young core. Young’s salary and injury status limited the interest around the league, so getting McCollum and Corey Kispert in return seemed like a deal of convenience.
But McCollum sparked a second half surge as Atlanta went 27-15 after the trade and posted the seventh-best point differential in the league. The new starting lineup of McCollum, Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu had the NBA’s second-highest net rating at +21.4 (minimum of 600 possessions).
“It was funny when the narratives came out at the time,” Saleh said. “Because people just thought we’re just salary dumping, which wasn’t the case at all. We wanted CJ. We wanted Corey. These are two guys that fit. … It’s worked out even better than I would have expected.”
There’s more from Atlanta:
- McCollum believes Jonathan Kuminga has benefited from the February trade that sent him from Golden State to Atlanta, per Nick Avila of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kuminga’s statistics with the two teams were similar during the regular season, but his playing time has increased to 31 minutes per night since the playoffs began. “He was in a not so great situation and now he’s found a happy home over here,” McCollum said after Game 3.
- The Hawks were expecting Young and Kristaps Porzingis to lift them out of play-in territory when they acquired the big man from Boston last summer, but the season didn’t turn around until they were both traded away, notes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Young and Porzingis only played three games and 51 total minutes together in Atlanta, but their replacements have made the Hawks a dangerous playoff opponent.
- In a session with reporters prior to Saturday’s Game 4, coach Quin Snyder said Alexander-Walker is a deserving winner of Most Improved Player honors, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. “He’s just thrown himself in consistently to the work,” Snyder said. “… We’re lucky to have him.”
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Risacher, Larsson, Magic
Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, who was hired in March 2024, saw his team win just 19 games during his first full season on the job, but he remained confident in the work the front office was doing and isn’t shocked that Charlotte has taken a significant step forward in 2025/26, he told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“The thing that excites me the most or brings me the most joy is that we implemented the process when I first got here in multiple different facets of the organization, and we’ve been able to stick to those processes,” Peterson said. “That doesn’t mean that the result is always what we want it to be. But I sleep well knowing that we had a process going into the draft, and trade deadline and free agency, and we were able to execute what we wanted to execute.
“So, I’m not necessarily surprised that the team looks better this year. Not surprised because the process started when I first got here, but even this past summer. I’ve never been a part of a team where the entire team was here this summer working. And that was on their own.”
Currently the No. 9 seed, the Hornets still aren’t assured a playoff spot – or even a home play-in game – in a surprisingly competitive Eastern Conference. But after an 11-23 start, they’ve gone 32-14 since January 3, with young players like Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Moussa Diabate, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner emerging as key contributors. Will that internal improvement give Peterson the confidence to go out and seek another roster upgrade on the trade market this summer?
“I think there’s a lot of variables that go into that,” he told Boone. “I think sometimes people think trades are easy. They’re not. You’re dealing with another team, they have to want your player or want to trade that player that you may want. Salary’s got a match. There’s just a ton of variables at stake. So, it just kind of depends on which team you’re dealing with or what not, what the market is.
“I certainly don’t want to be in the business of overpaying for a player at this point. There could be a point where you have to do that. It’s not an exact science. You’re certainly going to get something wrong. But you’ve got to be pretty sure, the confidence interval has to be high if you’re going to put all your chips in and go get a player.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- After playing a career-low seven minutes on Monday, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher received the first DNP-CD of his NBA career on Wednesday in Cleveland, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The former No. 1 overall pick was a starter through the first half of the season, but has seen his playing time dip to 22.5 minutes per game through 65 total outings. Risacher, who was replaced in the rotation by Corey Kispert on Wednesday, has averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per night, with a .457/.373/.636 shooting line.
- It has been a disappointing regular season for the Heat, who are trending toward a 10th-place finish that will require them to win two road games in the play-in tournament to make the playoffs. But the development of Pelle Larsson has been a bright spot, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who notes that the second-year forward has become one of the club’s most reliable, consistent players. “Being an enhancer in every lineup, that’s just a credit to the way he plays,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He does all the effort things, he does all the intangibles, he does all the little things. That, of course, will work with any lineup. Every lineup needs energy, effort, and he provides that.”
- Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is believed to be on the hot seat as the offseason nears, but center Goga Bitadze expressed appreciation on Wednesday for the job the coaching staff has done over the course of a challenging year, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (Twitter video link). “(The) coaches (have) done a great job staying positive,” Bitadze said. “You can’t get down on yourself and bring that negative energy, but they haven’t done that at all. You know, Mose has been nothing but positive all season.”
Hawks Notes: Snyder, Landale, NAW, Risacher, Kispert
Appearing on 92.9 The Game on Tuesday morning, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder referred to the play that injured Jock Landale last Wednesday as a “dirty” one by Magic center Goga Bitadze (Twitter video link). Bitazde pulled Landale down by his shoulder as he took the ball up for a scoring chance at the basket, resulting in the Atlanta big man landing awkwardly and spraining his ankle. He was ruled out for at least two weeks.
“I wish it would have been taken more seriously than it was,” Snyder said, per Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game (Twitter link). “To get to a point where there’s no penalty, there’s no suspension, there’s nothing?”
Snyder went on to point out that it wasn’t a first-time offense for the division-rival Magic, whom the Hawks beat by 29 points in Orlando last week (Twitter video link).
“The part of it that’s even more concerning to me is that we played (the Magic) last year — we were in a similar situation, where we had a trade at the deadline and we were playing really well,” Snyder said. “And we went down to Orlando and two guys on our team were knocked out for the season, Larry Nance and Vit (Krejci), both on dirty plays.
“So here we are, a year removed, and you could see it coming. That’s the game plan against the Hawks is to try to punk us. And you know what? It didn’t work, because we were tough and we competed. And then it turned into that when the game was over. It makes me really, really angry.”
We have more on the Hawks:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker continues to strengthen his case for Most Improved Player recognition. The guard scored 36 points in Monday’s loss to New York and hit seven shots from beyond the arc, increasing his three-point total for the season to 244. That’s a new single-season team record, per the Hawks (Twitter link), surpassing Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s 240 threes in 2023/24.
- Former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher played a career-low seven minutes on Monday, which Snyder chalked up to a crowded rotation, stressing that it wasn’t an indictment of the second-year forward. “We only have so many guys that we can actually put in the game,” he said (Twitter link via Maura Carey of The Associated Press). “… It’s not anything about one player, that’s just the game.”
- Sharpshooter Corey Kispert has also been a DNP-CD in three of the past four games after appearing in each of his first 35 contests with the team. “Corey didn’t play (on Monday), and Corey played great last game,” Snyder said (Twitter link via Carey). “We can only have so many guys that we can actually put in the game, and in certain situations we’re giving Nickeil, Dyson (Daniels) and those guys more minutes… (Jonathan Kuminga) played a little more, so those minutes come from somewhere.”
- After winning 18 of their previous 20 games, the Hawks fell at home on Monday to a potential playoff opponent, losing 108-105 to the Knicks. Atlanta viewed the defeat as a learning experience, writes Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). “This is like a lesson,” Alexander-Walker said. “It’s good for us to be battle-tested headed for the postseason. That’s a good team. Now we know how much better we can be. And we know their strengths, they know ours, and it’s how do we make an adjustment should we meet in the playoffs.”
Southeast Notes: Knueppel, Hornets, Heat Bigs, Kispert
On Thursday night, Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel set the rookie record for made three pointers when he hit his 207th of the season against the Pacers, per ESPN. He managed to achieve the feat in just 59 games, shattering the mark previously set by Keegan Murray, who needed 80 games to establish that record in 2023. Knueppel, who leads the entire NBA in threes, claimed he wasn’t hunting for the record during the game.
“It’s really just about making the right basketball play,” Knueppel said. “My teammates are setting good screens and setting me up in good spots. The coaches as well. I’m just out there looking to make the right play for my team.”
The rookie’s shooting display caught the attention of the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, who holds the single-season record with 402 made threes.
“He can obviously shoot the ball at a high level,” Curry said after playing the Hornets. “You can’t really leave him open at all as he has such a quick release and shoots with confidence. And his play-making is very underrated. His game just suits the NBA style, whether it’s fast-paced or a slowed-down possession game.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- While Knueppel’s individual play has caught fans’ attention, it’s just one of many reasons for optimism in Charlotte this season, Roderick Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer. The Hornets are currently one of the hottest teams in the league, having gone 17-6 in their last 23 games. After years of struggles to put a competitive team together, there is a palpable sense of excitement from the team and fanbase as Charlotte looks to keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings. “It’s a different vibe,” said Miles Bridges. “We’ll go to away games, their teams be loud, cheering along. And we didn’t have the same at home. Some people showed up, but now it’s like everybody’s showing up, showing us love… Shout out to the fans that’s been down with us before and shout out to the fans now.”
- Heat big men Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware want to play more minutes together, but they know the numbers need to justify it, Anthony Chiang writes for the Miami Herald. For much of the season, Adebayo/Ware duo has been one of the team’s worst two-man groups statistically, but that has started to turn around recently, Chiang notes. Against the Rockets, the pair was unleashed and the Heat won the 16 minutes they played together by 21 points. “I mean, it felt good,” Ware said. “It felt like the days when I’ve played alongside him recently. So, I mean, it felt good.” One wrinkle coach Erik Spoelstra introduced to make the pairing more effective was to use them in a zone defensive scheme, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Both of those guys were really good in our zone,” Spoelstra said. “Kel’el, that was one of his better jobs in the zone, just communicating, and protecting in that inner circle… Bam was super dynamic at the center position in the zone, and when you play him in the wing (in the zone), he’s our best wing defender, as well.”
- Corey Kispert recorded his career high in points in his first time playing against his former Wizards as a member of the Hawks, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kispert had 33 points and six rebounds as Atlanta won the game without ever trailing. “This game meant more to him. He’d been there for a long time,” teammate CJ McCollum said. “For me, I had a cup of coffee, some tea there. I just figured out my directions on how to get the facility without a GPS when I got traded. He spent some real time there, so I’m glad he’s doing that.”
Hawks Notes: McCollum, Kispert, Draft, Risacher, Porzingis
The Hawks traded Trae Young to Washington last Friday, roughly four weeks ahead of this season’s trade deadline. Speaking to reporters on Monday, general manager Onsi Saleh acknowledged that he could’ve waived until closer to February 5 to see what other opportunities materialized involving Young, but he explained that he liked the return from the Wizards enough that he didn’t feel the need to wait.
“If there are deals to be done, why wait, is my philosophy,” Saleh said, per John Hollinger of The Athletic. “If you like something that makes a lot of sense, we’re going to do that. We just do what’s best for our organization. And, you know, I’m not one to really wait on anything like that.
“Trae has been so huge in our community. Him and (his wife) Shelby, what they’ve done, we just wish them the best. They’ve been phenomenal for our organization. (We’re) talking about a guy that’s been the face of our franchise for quite a long time. I really wish him the best, and he’s going to do some cool stuff over there too.
“But we like the trade, and what we did was something we really thought would help us now and in the future. The players coming back, I think they’re excellent fits with us and make a lot of sense for us, and we get deep in our rotation too.”
Saleh cited increased cap flexibility as one reason why Atlanta pulled the trigger on the deal with Washington, though he repeatedly stressed during Monday’s media session that the Hawks value the players they acquired, CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The Hawks’ GM views the newcomers as players capable of complementing a core whose evolution this season is viewed as a major positive.
“Jalen (Johnson)‘s game has evolved so much, and he’s doing some amazing things on the court,” Saleh said. “Most importantly, I think he’s making his teammates better as well. And that’s how we kind of look at this as like as the group grows. It’s the group, it’s not simply just one player either, right? It’s Jalen, it’s Dyson (Daniels), it’s Onyeka (Okongwu), it’s Zacch (Risacher), it’s Nickeil (Alexander-Walker). We got two guys, Nickeil and Jalen, who have just made tremendous leaps, and when Dyson’s on the ball, we’ve seen that leap as well. So, again, it just comes down to what we’re seeing and how this fits the entire group rather than one person.”
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Saleh declined to comment on whether the Hawks have pursued or will pursue a contract extension with McCollum, but referred to the veteran guard as “somebody that I think could fit here long term,” per Hollinger. McCollum is on an expiring contract, but at least one report indicated Atlanta has some interest in working out a new deal with the 34-year-old.
- The Hawks control three picks in the 2026 draft, including the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s first-rounders, which could be a top-five selection. Saleh made no effort to downplay how important this year’s draft is for the organization, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). “The draft is, to me, our biggest transaction period. The draft is how you build organically,” the GM said. “It’s how you build internally. And I feel like this is a really good draft, the talent that’s available. So again, that will be our most important transaction period. We’ve got to nail the draft. That’s going to be really important for us as we build this thing out.”
- It didn’t take long for McCollum and Kispert to make a positive impact on their new team, as Williams writes for the AJC (subscription required). Although the duo shot a combined 5-of-18 from the floor on Sunday, McCollum was a team-high +19 in his 24 minutes off the bench in the victory over Golden State. “I think he settled us,” head coach Quin Snyder said of McCollum. “There’s a level of poise and confidence that he has that when you’re on the court, whether it’s your teammates or even your coach, you see him with the ball and you feel confident in what he’s going to do.”
- After missing the past two games due to what the Hawks referred to as left knee inflammation, Risacher has had his injury designation updated to a left knee bone contusion, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. Risacher is considered questionable to play on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, while big man Kristaps Porzingis will miss a third straight game due to left Achilles tendinitis.
Kings, Bulls, Lakers Interested In Jonathan Kuminga
While it’s widely expected that Jonathan Kuminga will be on the move by the February 5 deadline, the Warriors don’t feel any urgency to deal him when he becomes trade-eligible on January 15, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Fischer writes, the market for Kuminga has shrunk since he was a restricted free agent over the summer, and it doesn’t help matters that he couldn’t crack Golden State’s rotation even before he reportedly started being held out due to trade talks. Fischer points to the Suns as a team that was interested in Kuminga over the offseason but has since moved on.
While the Mavericks reportedly initiated trade talks with the Warriors and expressed some interest in Kuminga, those conversations were centered around Anthony Davis. With the star big man injured and thus not expected to be moved, Dallas seems unlikely to circle back to Kuminga now, Fischer explains.
According to Fischer, the Wizards were once viewed as a possible landing spot for the former No. 7 overall pick, but that was when they still had Corey Kispert on the roster, a player the Warriors have liked for years. Kispert was traded to Atlanta in the Trae Young deal.
Confirming recent reporting from ESPN and The Athletic, Fischer hears the Kings remain high on Kuminga and “would welcome” the opportunity to acquire him prior to Feb. 5, but they know a two-team deal is unlikely and that may be true of multi-team constructs as well if general manager Scott Perry maintains his stance of being unwilling to include a first-round pick.
The Bulls are another team that has expressed previous interest in Kuminga, Fischer writes, and a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that they’re still evaluating whether to make a run at him. Cowley hears there has been increased recent chatter about Coby White being on the market, and Fischer refers to the impending free agent as being “oft-discussed,” though the Warriors don’t appear to have interest in the 25-year-old guard.
Cowley also confirms the Bulls have long been intrigued by Zion Williamson, but he may not be available.
Lastly, while the Lakers are known to be looking for a three-and-D wing and Kuminga doesn’t really fit that bill, they did inquire about his availability in the offseason and have continued to keep an eye on his situation, Fischer reports.
Hawks Trade Trae Young To Wizards
The Hawks and Wizards have officially completed a trade sending point guard Trae Young to Washington in exchange for guard CJ McCollum and swingman Corey Kispert, Atlanta confirmed today in a press release.
ESPN’s Shams Charania, who first broke the news of the trade agreement, previously reported that Washington was Young’s preferred destination in a deal. He’ll get a fresh start as a veteran presence on a rebuilding Wizards team after spending seven-plus seasons in Atlanta.
“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.”
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 has been 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).
Wizards Rumors: Young, Sarr, Carrington, Kispert
Although rival executives have been expecting new Wizards point guard Trae Young to exercise his $49MM player option for 2026/27, he has yet to make a decision on that option, according to David Aldridge, Sam Amick, and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who say the four-time All-Star is also open to discussing a contract extension with his new team or even opting out in favor of free agency this summer.
If Young did become a free agent, the Wizards would make a “full push” to sign him to a new contract, since they don’t want to lose him for nothing, per The Athletic’s trio. If he picks up his option, the team’s plan would be to talk to Young and his reps to see if he’s happy in Washington, then decide on the next steps from there. An extension, another trade, or Young playing out the final year of his contract would all be options in that scenario.
The Wizards want to assess how several members of their young core – including Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson – respond to playing alongside Young, since that will be a key factor in determining whether the 27-year-old fits on their roster long-term, according to The Athletic’s report. However, it’s unclear how often that will happen in the next few months.
As Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins note, Young has appeared in just 10 games this season due to various injuries – most recently a quad issue – and the team isn’t in a hurry to rush him back. Pointing out that the Wizards have little incentive to win this season because their 2026 first-round pick is top-eight protected, The Athletic’s reporters suggest it’s possible Young will play a “limited number” of games the rest of the way, with the team more focused on his impact in 2026/27 (and potentially beyond).
If the Wizards go that route, it would be similar to what the Raptors did with Brandon Ingram last season. Toronto traded for the forward at the trade deadline and signed him to a contract extension, but with the club in tank mode down the stretch and Ingram still recovering from an ankle injury, he didn’t play until this fall.
Here’s more out of D.C.:
- The Wizards believe they have the sort of defensive personnel that can help make up for Young’s shortcomings on that end of the floor, per Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins, including rim protector Alex Sarr and wing stopper Bilal Coulibaly. The team is also optimistic about the way in which Young may be able to unlock the offensive potential of many of its young players, giving Sarr a pick-and-roll partner and Johnson someone who will get him more open looks.
- While George, Coulibaly, and Carrington have all taken on ball-handling responsibilities this season, George and Coulibaly are forwards rather than point guards, and some members of the organization believe Carrington is better suited to playing off the ball, per The Athletic. That’s one reason why the front office was motivated to make a deal for a true point guard like Young.
- Corey Kispert was “highly regarded” within the Wizards’ organization for his professionalism, according to Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins, but he was viewed as expendable due to the club’s depth on the wing.
Trae Young Trade Notes: Possible Extension, Trade Bonus, TPE, More
Once the trade sending Trae Young to Washington is officially complete, the Wizards and their new starting point guard will be open to exploring a potential contract extension, but it won’t be “top of mind,” reports ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link).
As Shelburne explains, both the Wizards and Young may take the opportunity to evaluate the situation and the fit before making a decision on their long-term future together. That process could extend to the 2026/27 season, since Young holds a $49MM player option that he could pick up if he doesn’t sign an extension and doesn’t want to test the free agent market.
If Young were to sign an extension with the Wizards in the coming months, it would require him to turn down his option and replace it with a new deal starting in ’26/27. An agreement between the two sides could tack on a maximum of three years to the current season.
If Young picks up his option in June, he would be eligible during the offseason to sign an extension that begins in ’27/28 and adds up to four new seasons to his option year.
Here’s much more on the first trade of the 2025/26 NBA season:
- Young’s contract includes a 15% trade kicker, and there has been no indication that he won’t receive his bonus as part of the trade. However, trade bonuses don’t apply to option years and can’t increase a player’s salary beyond his maximum for that year. Young currently has a $45,999,660 cap hit for this season and his maximum salary would be $46,394,100, so if he receives his full bonus, he’ll get a $394,440 bump.
- The Hawks are sending out more salary than they’re taking back in the deal and will generate a small traded player exception as a result. That exception will be worth $1,357,994.
- Having cleared Young’s salary from their books for next season, the Hawks are considered likely to remain in pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday evening during an appearance on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link). As John Hollinger of The Athletic observes, CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert can’t have their salaries aggregated in a second trade prior to the February 5 deadline, so any Atlanta package for Davis ($54.1MM) would have to start with the expiring contracts of Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM) and Luke Kennard ($11MM), and it may have to include Zaccharie Risacher ($13.2MM) too.
- The Wizards will open up a roster spot once the trade is complete, and Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) suggests it could be used to promote two-way player Tristan Vukcevic to a standard multiyear contract. Washington may wait on that until after the trade deadline, since Vukcevic won’t hit his 50-game limit for another month or so, and maintaining roster flexibility could help the team accommodate another deadline deal.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN thinks the trade could be a win-win for the Wizards and Hawks, giving both teams a grade of B for the deal. Zach Harper of The Athletic is far less bullish on the move from Atlanta’s perspective, assigning the Hawks a D-plus grade while giving Washington an A.
- McCollum told Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link) that he “loved” his brief time in D.C. but is looking forward to joining the Hawks. “(The Wizards’) organization was great to my family and I,” McCollum said. “(Executives) Michael Winger and Will (Dawkins) did everything they said they would and kept their word from the very beginning. Love the city and they’re doing things the right way over there. Excited to get to the A and get to work. Very familiar with their style of play. Love the ownership group and front office. Good group of players.”