Trae Young's goal with Wizards? 'Make an All-Star or two out of some of these other guys'
In his first news conference since being traded to Washington from Atlanta, Young emphasized his desire to help the Wizards' young core.
WASHINGTON — Trae Young is looking forward to writing a new narrative for himself — and for his new team, the Washington Wizards.
Early Friday evening, at his first news conference since the Atlanta Hawks traded him to Washington, Young said he intends to elevate the Wizards’ young players and help turn the franchise into a winner.
“I just want to bring the best out of these young guys, as far as on the court,” Young told reporters.
“When … I’m able to be right and get on the court, (I want to) show that I can bring the best out of this team and these young guys that I’m around, and hopefully make an All-Star or two out of some of these other guys. That’s my goal for this.”
💭 Why The District?@TheTraeYoung: “Being able to have an impact on my teammates and the people around me.”
Tune in 📺: https://t.co/hSjpHoFNg9 pic.twitter.com/WKCpZvAsEc
— Monumental Sports Network (@MonSportsNet) January 9, 2026
The Hawks agreed to trade the four-time All-Star point guard to the Wizards on Wednesday in exchange for combo guard CJ McCollum and wing Corey Kispert.
Wizards officials said they regard Young as someone who, with his passing skill, should help the team’s first-, second- and third-year players — a group that includes center Alex Sarr, point forward Kyshawn George, wing Bilal Coulibaly, combo guard Bub Carrington and wing Tre Johnson — feast on open shots.
“He plays an exciting brand of basketball that we’re looking forward to seeing here,” general manager Will Dawkins said. “He just plays with a level of confidence, a level of competitiveness that we feel like we’d like to add. It’s what sets him apart when you watch him play against the other guards in the league.
“I know the front office, the evaluators, we feel extremely strongly about his ability to amplify the young talent that we have (and) the young talent that we’re going to keep adding to the team as we go through the player-development process that we’re going to stick to here in D.C.”
It’s unclear when Young, 27, will play again. The Wizards held him out of Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, citing the sprained right MCL and right quadriceps contusion Young suffered earlier this season. Young has played in just 10 games this season and has not suited up since Dec. 27.
“We’re learning more about his injury status,” Dawkins told The Athletic when asked whether he expects Young to play for the Wizards this season.