Trae Young’s tenure in Atlanta is over, with the Hawks agreeing to trade the high-scoring and oft-criticized guard to the Washington Wizards in exchange for a package that includes veteran C.J. McCollum, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday night.
Corey Kispert will also be headed to Atlanta from Washington, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet received the required approval from the league.
advertise
NBA reporter Marc Stein was the first to reveal that the two parties were about to reach an agreement, while ESPN was the first to report that the agreement had been implemented.
The Wizards held off McCollum and Kispert on Wednesday night against Philadelphia. Young sat on the bench in street clothes during the Eagles’ win over visiting New Orleans.
Young ranks 10th in scoring, 12th in points per game, first in assists, and first in assists per game since entering the NBA with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft.
He is one of five players who have ranked in the top 10 in both points and assists since entering the league; the others are Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers and Devin Booker of the Phoenix.
advertise
Jokic won a championship and was named MVP three times. Doncic is considered an MVP candidate, Harden is a member of the 75th Anniversary Team, and Booker is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Young doesn’t get the respect those players deserve. He was a four-time All-Star, two of which were by ballot, including two when Adam Silver added him to the roster as an injury replacement.
Regardless, the Hawks are better off without Young this season. Atlanta is 2-8 on the season when Young plays; the Hawks are 16-13 without him.
Over his career, the Eagles have won 49 percent of their games when Young is not in the lineup and 45 percent when he is on the floor.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA