Trae Young Trade Sparks Hope for Washington Wizards

Merlin sees Trae Young is now a Washington Wizard after Atlanta sent him to Washington for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Washington took Young partly because his $48.97 million player option helps them hit the salary floor and adds playmaking, but Marc Stein says the team "openly covets length and size," so Young may not be an ideal fit. There are "rumblings" of a two-year extension, and Young said "We revive each other." Merlin notes Atlanta's unwillingness to extend Young set this move in motion and that the Hawks' 2021 peak now looks like the ceiling. Washington is 10-27 and rebuilding; Young's scoring and playmaking could speed the process if he stays healthy and the front office commits. Expect fits and flashes as both sides evaluate fit and chemistry.