Trae Young sat courtside against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. The red jersey of the Atlanta Hawks was not clinging to his lean, lethal self. The team had listed him out for the game because of the troublesome right quad contusion. However, the 27-year-old was there for the last time as the home hero. He had just been traded to the Washington Wizards. But the All-Star guard was more than a player for the city of Atlanta.

In Young’s third season, he pushed the team into the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2021. In that moment, Trae etched his legacy in the hearts of the fans and the franchise. However, this divorce seemed inevitable. It’s all a matter of opportunities, development, and buildup simultaneously.

And now, when the separation has turned into reality, Trae Young took his time to pen down a heartfelt letter to the beloved crowd of Atlanta. In an Instagram post, the 27-year-old superstar wrote that he never thought he would be writing such a note.

“The last few years weren’t how I wanted them to be,” Trae Young wrote.

“Expectations that we created for ourselves, reaching heights that Atlanta has never reached before. Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal…” he continued. “…I’m walking into the next chapter ecstatic, with my head high and my eyes forward. It’s time to see what’s possible when the support is real and the vision is clear. We move.”

Signing off, Young ended his message. The guard spent 7 seasons with the franchise, replacing Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA draft. Yes, the Dallas Mavericks had picked Trae Young, but the basketball gods chose a different path. And now, once again, his path has been diverted. This time, to the Wizards.

You see, the Washington Wizards gave away CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to make the $46 million space for Young. In the view of top executives Michael Winger and Will Dawkins, the guard can anchor the franchise’s growing young core.

Moreover, the organization sees the trade as a key step in its long-term rebuilding process. Meanwhile, Trae Young will reconnect with Travis Schlenk, the Wizards executive who originally acquired him for Atlanta on draft night in 2018. Across 7 seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Trae Young has averaged 25.18 ppg, 3.45 rpg, and 9.81 apg.

And now, Young is a Wizard. But there’s a major twist in the story as some worrying news comes to light right after the mega trade on Wednesday, January 7.

Washington Wizards’ plan for Trae Young

The Washington Wizards reportedly plan to ease Trae Young through the rest of the season. According to insider Josh Robbins, who covers the Washington Wizards for The Athletic, the franchise will not rush his return to peak condition. Instead, the team expects limited on-court impact, prioritizing long-term health over immediate production as the season winds down.

“Young has missed the Hawks’ past six games with an ankle injury. The plan is for him to rehab the ankle in-house, a league source said, but with no rush to bring him back,” Robbins informed.

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“The Wizards’ desire isn’t for Young to help them this season. It’s to contribute starting in 2026, assuming he’s still around, which is the most likely scenario,” he further added.

Meanwhile, Trae Young already lost nearly two months earlier this season because of an MCL sprain. He returned briefly, but another setback forced him to miss six more games. Meanwhile, Washington sits 14th in the East with a 10-26 record. Therefore, the franchise may prioritize draft positioning over pushing Young back into action.

So, the deal is done, the letter is out, and the Wizards’ verdict is clear. Everything adds up to the fact that Trae Young is indeed not a Hawk anymore. A new destination, a new strategy, and a new vision await the young gun. And a championship? Well, only time will reveal.