Trae Young’s run with the Atlanta Hawks officially ended Wednesday after the team sent him to the Washington Wizards in a deal for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
Not long after the news broke, Trae’s father, Ray Young, shared a message on X reflecting on his son’s time in Atlanta.
“All love. It was such a blessing,” Ray wrote while reposting a graphic that summed up Trae’s years in a Hawks uniform.
Trae all-time ranks as a Hawk:
— 3rd in PPG
— 1st in APG
— 1st in playoff PPG
— 1st in playoff APGEnd of an era. pic.twitter.com/Uwl29EE4j6
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 8, 2026
It’s not hard to see why.
Young spent most of his career carrying the franchise, highlighted by Atlanta’s surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. Over seven seasons, he became a four-time All-Star and one of the league’s most ball-dominant guards.
By the time he left, Young had played 493 games for Atlanta, averaging 25.2 points and nearly 10 assists per night while serving as the engine of the offense year after year.
No love lost as Trae Young moves to Washington
The timing of the trade raised eyebrows — Young was reportedly moved mid-game during Atlanta’s matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans — but it doesn’t appear to have rattled him.
In fact, Washington was already on his radar.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Young was open to a move to the nation’s capital, with agents Aaron Mintz, Drew Morrison, and Austin Brown working alongside the Hawks’ front office to get a deal done.
While some fans laughed at the idea initially, the situation may actually suit Young.
After years of carrying Atlanta, he now steps into a roster filled with young talent, where his role as a primary leader remains intact. Washington’s core includes Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, AJ Johnson, Tre Johnson, Cam Whitmore, and Tristan Vukcevic — a group still finding its footing.
That opportunity for a reset clearly appealed to the 27-year-old guard, especially after a frustrating stretch to close out his Hawks tenure.
In his eighth season with Atlanta, Young battled knee issues and appeared in just 10 games, averaging 19.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.0 steals. It marked his lowest scoring output since his rookie year.
Now, with a new jersey and a clean slate, Young gets a chance to rewrite the next chapter — this time in Washington.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
