The first big NBA trade domino has fallen.
A little less than a month before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Trae Young, a four-time All-Star, was traded by the Hawks to the Wizards in a somewhat rare intra-divisional, player-for-player deal. In return, Washington is sending guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert to Atlanta, a person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly disclose details of the trade.
Given that the Wizards are second-to-last in the East, and given that the Hawks are ninth, this trade might not initially appear to alter the fates of either franchise. But there are implications that should have ripple effects on both franchises in the years to come.
Here are the winners and losers of the Trae Young trade:
WINNERS
Hawks defense (though not by much)
It’s a pretty damning stat: in the 10 games that Trae Young has played this season, the Hawks were 2-8; in the 28 games without him, they went 16-12. Though Atlanta has faced other injuries this season, there was a clear issue with lineups that included Young and it was on defense.
Of all the qualifying players through Wednesday, Jan. 7, Young ranked third to last — or 493rd in individual defensive rating, with a mark of 126.2. It would be notable, except that McCollum, the centerpiece in the trade, isn’t all that far behind, at 464th, with a defensive rating of 120.4.
Trae Young
He’s still only 27, has a polished offensive game and now has more leverage and agency toward his future. Young, per Spotrac.com, is in the final season of his contract, though he has a player option for next year. Should he exercise that option, he’ll be set to make north of $94 million over these two seasons. Should he decline it, he’ll pocket $46.4 million for this year and then will have the chance to hit the open market this summer, where he’ll draw considerable interest and, therefore, another lucrative payday.
In any case, he gets to go to his preferred destination, one with an intriguing young core with second-year players Alexandre Sarr, Kyshawn George, rookie Tre Johnson and third-year defensive specialist Bilal Coulibaly.
Atlanta salary cap flexibility
The Hawks have a nice young core, led by potential All-Star Jalen Johnson (24), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (27), Dyson Daniels (22) and Zaccharie Risacher (20). Now, with Young off the books, the most expensive player on the roster is center Kristaps Porziņģis, who makes $30.7 million. Yet, Porziņģis is on an expiring deal, as is McCollum (also $30.7 million in 2025-26), which gives the Hawks massive wiggle room to try to entice a free agent available in the offseason. Though, practically speaking, the Hawks might be better served to save that cap space for 2027.
Jalen Johnson
This signals that the Hawks are fully investing in Johnson as the face of the franchise. Averaging 23.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, Johnson is a solid bet to make his first All-Star game. And with Young’s usage gone, Johnson should find the ball in his hands much more.
The New York Knicks (let us explain)
The Wizards started the season 1-15 and are currently second-to-last in the East. Washington, however, has won five of its last seven games and has shown some improvement in recent weeks. Adding Young, presumably, should improve the roster.
This is good news for New York, which would receive Washington’s 2026 first-round draft pick as long as it ends up No. 9 or lower. The more Washington wins, the more the Knicks do, too.
LOSERS
Wizards defense
They already ranked second-to-last in the NBA, allowing 121.6 points per 100 possessions. With Young getting extended minutes, that figure might actually get worse. It also puts incredible pressure on Bilal Coulibaly and Alexandre Sarr as the main defensive stoppers in the starting lineup.
The Hawks can’t land draft capital
In the NBA economy, nothing is greater than a stash of draft capital. Teams love to hoard picks so they can package them in a deal for better players. It can be the difference between landing a star (or valuable role player) at the deadline versus missing out.
That Atlanta was unable to land a draft pick in this deal, and that it happened a little less than a month before the deadline, indicates how poor the trade market was for Young.
The guard logjam in Washington
With this deal, the Wizards now have Young, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington in the guard rotation. Young and Carrington are the two that are most natural with the ball in their hands, while George and Johnson have played solidly at the two-guard spot. The odd man out here, presumably, is Carrington, who may see his minutes drop, especially because George and Johnson have found their roles off the ball.
This will certainly be something for coach Brian Keefe to sort through in the coming months.