With Trae Young highly involved in influencing players to join the Hawks, the logical next step was signing the extension. Yet, we have turned to a new year, and the 4x All-Star remains at the crossroads in Atlanta. With the front office seemingly trusting the young core, the 27-year-old is on his way out. But is the Washington Wizards the destination?

“Trae Young has been traded for the Wizards in exchange for Keyshawn George, CJ McCollum, Los Pollos TV, and 2 first-round picks 🚨 • @thenbacental for all things memes and sports.”

On social media, parody accounts like NBA Centel and the Bricks Center posted about Trae Young leaving. One can easily identify it as a meme trade, as the popular content creator Los Pollos TV is involved in the trade. For now, there is no official confirmation that the Washington Wizards have traded for Young.

This comes after ESPN’s senior insider, Shams Charania, reported that Young and his agents are working with the franchise on a trade. Even though the franchise and the player representative couldn’t come to terms on signing the extension, they are now on the same page to find a resolution. Once this update came out, another report from insider Marc Stein touted the Wizards as frontrunners.

Stein said that the Wizards have emerged as a “legitimate potential trade destination” for Trae Young. CJ McCollum’s expiring contract of $30.7 million will be involved, along with some picks, to match the financials. Acquired by the Wizards from the New Orleans Pelicans in last offseason’s trade, McCollum has been a solid veteran presence for the young Washington team. In 34 games, he is averaging 18.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 boards. That’s why the parody trade update had Washington as the confirmed team, but for now, it only remains a strong link.

Another reason why this will make sense is because of the Wizards’ senior vice president of player personnel’s connection with Young. Travis Schlenk, the former Hawks GM who drafted Trae Young, is now in Washington, and his voice is apparently being heard during negotiations. The 27-year-old is reportedly “open-minded” about being moved and is now in his eighth campaign as the Hawks’ franchise star.

It is widely believed that for the Hawks to finally fulfill their desire to land Anthony Davis, multiple teams have to join the trade framework with the Dallas Mavericks. As such, the potential inclusion of Washington as a landing spot for Young appears to be a considerable step.

Hawks are ready to bet on Jalen Johnson and Co. without Trae Young

Young has been the face of the Hawks’ franchise since he was drafted in 2018. He even led Atlanta to the postseason three times in his eight years, including a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021. His $49 million player option for 2026-27 isn’t friendly for teams since one rival scout bluntly said, “Trae is an extremely difficult player to win at the highest level with.” This season, it became true for the Hawks.

He has struggled significantly this year and hasn’t been healthy, averaging just 19.3 points on over 41 percent shooting and 8.9 assists in 10 games. While the 27-year-old was out on the sidelines, the young core of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Asa Newell, and Onyeka Okongwu has taken over. Before Monday’s game result against the Raptors, the Hawks remain 2-8 with Young as opposed to 15-12 without. In that period, Johnson has truly become the number 1 option for Atlanta.

The 24-year-old’s efficiency has increased as he is shooting 52.6% from the floor and a career-best 37.7% from 3. He’s averaging 24 points, 10.2 boards, and 8.5 assists per game, all while providing excellent on-ball and help defense at 6-foot-8. Meanwhile, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has morphed into the perfect backcourt partner, plus Dyson Daniels and Vit Krejci continue to have strong minutes. And that is telling enough.

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