Wizards Should Monitor Potential Trae Young Trade

The Washington Wizards should closely monitor a potential Trade Young trade.

Oct 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) controls the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at State Farm Arena. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards are entering the part of their rebuild where they can head in just about any direction.

They could continue adding young pieces for the future, they could look to pull off a blockbuster trade for a centerpiece franchise player, or they could keep their roster as is and continue developing young talent.

At some point in time, the Wizards will need to get aggressive and make a move for a franchise player. There is a chance that one of them will come available in the near future.

Bleacher Report recently took a look at the likely next five NBA stars to request a trade. One name stuck out among the rest as a piece that would be a wise target for Washington.

Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young was on the list. If he ends up being made available in trade discussions, the Wizards should think about aggressively pursuing a trade for him.

"Six full seasons, three of which included All-Star nods, is pretty long stint with an average team for someone with Young's profile. And it's not like rumors of the Hawks dealing him would be new," Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report wrote. "It just feels like, one way or the other, this partnership is nearing its expiration date."

Granted, Washington would not be able to offer Young the chance to compete for a championship in year one. However, at just 26 years old, he would be the perfect piece to build around.

Depending on the price tag to acquire Young, the Wizards could have some quality pieces around Young.

Names like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Jordan Poole, and Kyle Kuzma would be among the mix of players that could be retained. Washington would likely have to part with a couple of those players to get Young, but they would have a few of them left over.

Moving forward, having a trio of Young, Kuzma, and Sarr would be a nice big three to build around. If Sarr is able to develop to his full potential, he has legitimate superstar talent.

Adding a player like Young would also make the Wizards a much more attractive free agency destination. He could change the entire outlook for the franchise.

Young is coming off of a 2023-24 NBA season that saw him average 25.7 points, 10.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 43 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from the three-point line.

Those numbers would be exactly what Washington needs from a new franchise player.

Is it likely that the Wizards would be able to acquire Young? Honestly, that answer is no. But, they should monitor the situation is make an aggressive run at him if he is made available on the trade market.

His ability to score at a superstar level and create for teammates would be huge for Washington. He's a match made in heaven if the Wizards could get something done to get him.

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