The Washington Wizards and Trae Young are attempting fresh starts together.
The Wizards sent traded CJ McCollum and wing Corey Kispert to the Hawks to acquire Young, according to The Athletic in a move that shakes up the back half of the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics will face the Young-less heat in Boston on Jan. 17.
The Wizards will attempt to use the trade as a launching pad toward future contention. They entered Wednesday at 10-26.
The trade ends heightened speculation about Young’s future after Atlanta chose not to extend him and likely increased anticipation for the Feb. 5 NBA Trade Deadline.
The Hawks, who started the day in the 10th spot at 17-21, will move forward without their longtime face of the franchise. Young, 27, is averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game.
Young became expendable with the emergence of Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Unloading Young’s contract could also make them players for an expensive addition going forward.
McCollum could be either a veteran presence or a trade chip for the Hawks. Kispert is in the first season of a four-year deal but has only played 19 games this season due to injury. He’s averaging 9.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
It’s unclear whether McCollum will be a part of Atlanta’s plans as he remains on an expiring $34 million contract. The Hawks could use another ball handler with Young’s departure but Atlanta could offer to give those opportunities to younger players and see what they could fetch for McCollum in a separate deal.
Young’s future contract situation also bears watching in Washington as he gets a trial run around the Wizards core. He currently holds a $49.2 million player option for next season that likely goes far beyond his current market value.
Young could pick that up to remain in Washington or the team could offer him a long-term contract at a smaller annual figure to free up some additional cap space. The 27-year-old does not necessarily fit the Wizards’ timeline at the start of a rebuild but he’s such a low cost acquisition that the Wizards can take a flier to see if he can elevate their younger talent.
It’s unclear when Young will debut with the Wizards as the guard has not played since Dec. 27 due to a quad injury.
