In the span of less than a week, Trae Young navigated his way away from the Atlanta Hawks. The LA Clippers were among the few teams interested, but the Washington Wizards somehow got hold of the four-time all-star by giving up CJ McCollum and Cory Kispert, an underwhelming package that Lawrence Frank easily had in the back room that could have brought a championship to Inglewood, California.
The Clippers have a ton of needs with a 13-23 record, but a reliable third option like Young is loud. He is a walking 10 assists on most nights and can add the cherry on top with a consistent average of 20 to 30 points.
However, the Clippers’ front office fell asleep and ended the night with a massive missed opportunity on Young and a loss to the New York Knicks, the worst of both worlds.
The Clippers had a better package for the Hawks if Frank was a bit more aggressive
The Atlanta Hawks may plan to retain Cory Kispert, as he is a lights-out shooter, but their rationale for trading for CJ McCollum is clear: reroute him to another team, and if that is not possible, let him walk in the 2026 offseason.
Though McCollum is a great player, the Hawks were after his expiring contract. This became clear in Marc Stein’s earlier report this week on ‘The Stein Line’ and ended up transpiring just as expected.
The Wizards have emerged as a legitimate potential trade destination for Atlanta's Trae Young, @TheSteinLine has learned, in a deal construction centered around CJ McCollum's expiring contract.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 5, 2026
More to come here: https://t.co/i9CobUR55T pic.twitter.com/k9xOa2DZas
Had the LA Clippers been more involved in the race for young players, they would have had better expiring contracts waiting for the Hawks. John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic (team option) were the top two options, yet even Nicolas Batum (team option) could have been in the discussion; it was purely whatever Atlanta desired.
Hypothetically, Young would boost the Clippers’ chances of a deep postseason run. He has Eastern Conference Finals experience and has been a number-one option his entire life, from Norman North High School to the Oklahoma Sooners to a remarkable seven-plus-season stint with Atlanta.
Now, the Wizards have a legitimate point guard to build around, forming a playoff-contending core with Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson.
That said, it is mind-blowing how the Wizards landed Young by keeping their youngsters, and simultaneously shipped off McCollum’s hefty contract. The Clippers fumbled tremendously and will regret their lack of aggression later in the year when James Harden and Kawhi Leonard need help and a credible all-star is not in the picture.