The state of the NBA is always changing. Nothing is promised not even a franchise star point guard.
A significant example of this is Luka Doncic, former 2018 1st round draftee and face of the Dallas Mavericks, was surprisingly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie by general manager Nico Harrison.

This blockbuster deal established a new era of unpredictability, setting the stage for today’s blockbuster deal; Trae Young to the (10–26) Washington Wizards. Coincidentally enough, Luka Doncic and Trae Young both came out of the 2018 NBA Draft and were drafted by the Hawks for a brief period of time.

The 4x NBA all star has departed in a ugly divorce with the Hawks due to a variety of things. Lack of defense (Young remains one of the worst defensive players in the league), the emergence of Small Forward Jalen Johnson, and the new CBA rules which covers how much teams can spend (salary cap), how they can trade players, difficult keeping expensive superstars, and even how many games players need to play to get recognized for major rewards.

This year Young is averaging 19.3 Points per game, 8.9 assists per game, 2.6 turnovers, and 1.5 rebounds, a major drop-off from his past two years in the league. With 3 playoff appearances, Trae Young has only reached the Eastern conference finals once coming in the 2021–22 season where the Hawks eliminated the 76ers and the Knicks, but falling short to the Bucks losing in 5 games. The rest of Trae’s experience in the playoffs have been nothing less than depressing losing against the Miami Heat in 2022 and the Boston Celtics in 2023.

Enough of the playoff appearances for Young, let’s get on the details of this blockbuster transaction.

Washington Wizards Receive:

Trae Young (27 years of age)

Atlanta Hawks Receive:

Corey Kispert ( 26 years of age, Avg 9.2 PPG this year)

Cj McCollum (34 years of age, Avg 18.8 PPG this year, 3.5 Rebounds, 3.6 Ast)

Since Trae is currently the Wizards Face of the Franchise this ensures a few things. Young will be able to make significant offensive plays without restrictions, Expect Alex Sarr PPG to increase, veteran leadership into the locker room for developing players like Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George.

As far as the Hawks, they free huge amounts cap space, CJ McCoulum will be a underrated and vital piece in this system, Hawks will perform better defensively as shown earlier this season when Young was out (16–13 without him vs 2–8 with him), and reliable 3 point shooters like Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson will lead to wins.

All in all, NBA stars staying long- term is not certain as shown in recent trades. Washington Wizards may not make the playoffs this year, but they are showcasing to fans and reporters that the future is their key to success. Young provides playoff experience, veteran leadership, a reliable 3 point shot, and unlocking potential to young superstars.