He is a rookie of choice who is likely to change the face of the moribund Washington Wizards franchise in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks have reached an agreement to send their All-Star point guard Trae Young, face of the franchise since 2018, to Washington.
While the Hawks were still fighting at home against the New Orleans Pelicans (117 to 100 success), the transfer of Trae Young, present in the enclosure but forfeited for this meeting, was announced by the broadcaster ESPN and by The Athletic. Trae Young left the arena before the end of the match, applauded by the spectators. CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert are traveling in the opposite direction.
Young, the 27-year-old American leader, four-time All-Star, therefore joins the Washington Wizards, a bottom-ranking team that has been rebuilding for several seasons, where he will play in particular with the French Alexandre Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly. For these two hopefuls, who have produced very high quality performances since their arrival in the American League, this is excellent news, likely to bring the Wizards back to the top of the rankings.
On the other hand, he leaves in Georgia another promising Frenchman, Zaccharie Risacher, drafted in first position in 2024, and who had benefited from Young’s passing talent during his first season in the NBA.
The immense talent of Trae Young
Young has certainly only played 10 games this season (19.3 points, 8.9 assists on average), hampered by a ligament sprain in his right knee. But his talent is immense. A formidable ball handler and skilled from distance, Young was the most prolific passer last season in the league.
Drafted in 5th position in 2018 by Dallas and immediately exchanged for Luka Doncic, drawn in 3rd, the leader pays for the emergence this season of power forward Jalen Johnson and the idea that the Hawks have reached their glass ceiling with him in 2021 with a defeat in the conference final.
Atlanta then lost twice in the first round of the play-offs, missing the last two seasons. Young has a contract valued at nearly $45 million this season, with an option year he can trigger next summer. The Hawks are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference (18v-21d) and the Wizards 14th (10v-26d).
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