American sports media announced the big transfer of Trae Young from Atlanta to Washington while the Hawks were facing New Orleans on Wednesday.
The transfer madness began in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks have reached an agreement to send their All-Star leader Trae Young, face of the franchise since 2018, to Washington, several American media wrote Wednesday evening. While the Hawks were still battling 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. CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert are traveling in the opposite direction.
He joins the French Alexandre Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly
The 27-year-old American leader, four times 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. Young has only played 10 matches this season (19.3 points, 8.9 assists on average), hampered by a ligament sprain in his right knee.
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).
“An Atlanta Legend”
“I know you all have questions for me, but I’m not allowed to talk about them or answer them at this time,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said after Wednesday’s win, as the trade had not yet been approved by the league. Young, who suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee earlier this season, is currently out with a right thigh contusion that has kept him out of the last six games. On Wednesday, he was on the bench which he left about thirty seconds before the end of the match, greeting a few supporters before joining the locker room.
“It’s TY, it’s Trae Young,” Hawks power forward Mouhamed Gueye said. “When I arrived, he was one of the first to message me to welcome me and gave me valuable advice. Playing with Trae, as a center, is a dream come true. I love him, he’s a great guy and an exceptional teammate… An Atlanta legend.”
