Wizards with the ball

Trae Young didn't turn 27 until this season's training camp. That the Washington Wizards were able to acquire Trae Young in exchange for expiring contracts should tell us something.

What should teach us more? That Atlanta was willing to take so little in return for Young, reportedly considering adding draft capital in exchange for the burden of Trae Young's age-28 season. The Wizards just acquired Trae Young and zero draft picks in exchange Corey Kispert and C.J. McCollum and zero draft picks because the Wizards would be way off dealing draft picks for Trae. Yes, even the No. 18 or No. 30 selection in the draft. Even second-rounders.

The Wizards are the ones to take a chance on Trae's 2026-27 because the Wizards think they have to, it is a slow rebuild, effort must be shown. If Trae Young performs like Trae Young (voluminous below-average three-point shooting, terrible defense, league-leading assists) over the course of his contract (expiring after a $48.967 million player option in 2026-27), the Wizards would be wise to pass upon paying him into his 30s, even if Trae quarters his current salary.

It doesn't matter how much Young makes, his minutes are a minus at any price. Fielding Trae Young hurts a basketball team.

If he made anywhere near 40 percent of his three-pointers, maybe. If he dialed back and improved the defense, perhaps. But not at 30 minutes a night. If his current arc is any indication, your favorite team shouldn't take a chance on Trae Young. Dangerous territory.

Wizards fans? This story ain't over if Washington moves on from Trae at the trade deadline or at the 2026 NBA draft, declining a Trae Young contract extension at any price. A notion I would seriously consider as the Wizards declined committing anything toward Trae Young's contract extension.

No assets, no prospects, no picks, even clearing Corey Kispert's future Expansion Draft deal (expiring after 2027-28). Consider it because, again, defense and career 35 percent shooting from deep. Young will help perk up 2025-26 upon his Wizards debut, no doubt, but it'll only be a wave, coming and passing and going.

A fun one. Young's new Wizards teammates think they're working their hardest at the moment and they're correct but also wrong, they'll work harder with the league's leading assist clicker scanning lanes. The effort and energy will improve because hope exists. Even if it shouldn't.

The idea that the Wizards are an Eastern Conferences assists per game leader away from credibility is a little startling, and beyond the point. Credibility is not what we do with a $50 million per season player, "championship" is what we're after at this price, not chance-taking. Trae Young is a chance, the Wizards (or any future club) betting against his even-at-best overall production so far and concluding theirs is the hospitality to turn it all upward.

I do not understand how an NBA GM can 1). watch Trae Young play and then B.) go check out Trae's stats and determine Trae Young any reasonable companion with winning NBA games. The Wizards must think their rims will kick his three-point percentage up ten points, that Washington's fans will inspire Trae to contest a shot for once.

That Atlanta wants to move along for such little return screams, loudly. The Hawks embarrassed themselves several times over in acquiring and later supporting Young, with little to show but the advancements made in spite of Trae Young. Yet Atlanta settled without saving face.

The Hawks took a chance on the next Stephen Curry, filled the house for a bit, made a run, and will come out of it with payroll relief, if not cap space. The 2018 NBA draft was a miss, Luka Dončić available and the Hawks sniffing "nah," (then-Hawks GM and current Wizards cufflinker) Travis Schlenk betting on Trae instead.

Earned a pick from the adventure and turned it into Cam Reddish, traded him (somehow) for a pick (a by-now Charlotte second-rounder which hasn't materialized yet, currently in San Antonio's hands) that helped bring Dejounte Murray to pair with Trae. Another ATL adventure.

And now's Trae's 27. Not old by any stretch but presumably at his peak, the rest of the NBA caught up to his underwhelming ways. I do not know why it took so long for the Hawks to move off Trae, the decision to trade Young was not made on Monday, that box was clicked the second Hawks brass decided to decline on an extension.

When was that, this time last year? July? It didn't take Jalen Johnson's December garland string of double-digit assists to inspire the Hawks to move on from Trae Young, but it looks like it. Greater amounts of GMs were available in June or last February. Around to talk themselves into Trae Young.

The hesitation cost the Hawks (18-21, tied with Milwaukee at No. 11) the start Atlanta deserves, yet it may yank out of this. McCollum is one of the league's worst defenders up top but Trae is worse and shoots worse from outside. Kispert might even help, at least remain in the rotation. He probably won't. Forget I said that.

McCollum is old and doesn't defend but he is better than Young and I wrote this before Tuesday, before C.J. tore up the Magic, earning a home Washington win over a tough Orlando team, Jonathan Isaac playing his patriotic heart out on Jan. 6, refusing to be trod upon.

Atlanta will require developing its personality on the fly, McCollum can aid in this regard but the onus will be on those expected to lead beyond 2025-26. The Hawks grasp the best odds for the No. 2 (from NOLA) and No. 18 (from CLE) picks in the 2026 NBA draft, ATL's own pick (No. 14 at this instant) is due to San Antonio.

The Hawks brass overrated Trae Young in 2018, overrated him in the years which followed, it ain't Trae's fault. Trae Young was a peach throughout, there will be no Isaiah Rider-like WAV files to follow.

Again, I remind my dear readers that Rider's hat's print matched his shirt's print, which matched the shorts. Because it was Georgia, and the third weekend in March.

SURPRISES

Go back to September, ask the prevailing image of the Cosmic You, hey, you, would you be surprised that the Suns are 22-15? Just barely lost on the second night of a back-to-back in Houston with Kevin Durant getting way too excited about hitting a buzzer-beating game-winner against the Suns?

Would you be surprised? Maybe mutter something about Jalen Green taking off, whereupon I'd add that Green only played 30 minutes so far and that Devin Booker takes six threes per game to score six points (29 percent from deep thus far) and you'd be like huh and then we'd both remember how out of it Mike Budenholzer was in 2024-25 and maybe mention the Pistons similarly taking off after Monty Williams left.

And then you and your you would probably ask how the football season went or if he died yet.

Boston? Tell your you that Boston is 23-13 in the terrible East? Couldn't knock yourself over with a feather, it's the East. And Boston has horses. Toronto? Toronto isn't a surprise, Toronto features good NBA players.

Philly is not a surprise, Philly is phull of very good basketball players who care more than most. You'd probably pick Philly to play this well even with Joel Embiid dunking once if you were one of the many who guessed V.J. Edgecombe to be the next D-Wade. Big swing and hit to you! I haven't watched baseball for a few months so I'm not familiar with the catchphrases.

Detroit is not a surprise, played the Knicks tightly last spring before growing a year. What was a surprise was finding Detroit's average age, 25.9, and wondering why it was so high before recalling the wayward journey 31-year old Duncan Robinson took before his three seasons with Michigan. Robinson is one year and (not even) nine months younger than 15-season vet Tobias Harris yet 33-year old Tobias Harris (one year at Tennessee, drafted when he was 18) owns twice the NBA experience as Duncan Robinson.

Spurs aren't a surprise. You seen the guy they got? Down there? You seen that guy?

OKC? Eighty wins is not a surprise, neither is 60. They are tough, so is defending a championship. I jump for joy at overtime Jazz in January, love watching the Charlotte Hornets in winter, Brandon Miller's squared shoulders, but the Thunder are over this stuff. All they see is a new uniform every night, knowing they still have over three months to go before the Two Months.

I'm happy for these clubs! I ain't unmoved. Teams are built to succeed after they run out of options at losing.

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