Key Points
- Trae Young agrees to a four-year, approximately $212 million contract with the Washington Wizards, with a player option in Year 4
- First-year salary of roughly $49.5 million equals 30% of the projected 2026-27 salary cap — the maximum any non-Wizards team could have offered
- Young commits one day before Washington holds the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23
- The 27-year-old four-time All-Star played just 15 games in 2025-26 after an MCL sprain, back, and quad injuries
Trae Young has agreed to a four-year deal worth approximately $212 million with the Washington Wizards, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The contract includes a player option in the final year and a first-year salary of roughly $49.5 million, representing 30% of the projected 2026-27 salary cap.
Contract Structure
The $212 million figure falls short of the estimated $229 million supermax extension Washington could have offered but matches the maximum any other team in the league could have put on the table. By opting out of his $48.97 million player option — as Uristocrat reported earlier this month — Young secured an additional three guaranteed years at a higher annual average. The player option in Year 4 gives him another exit ramp at age 31.
The Road to Washington
Young arrived in Washington on January 8, 2026, when the Hawks traded him for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The deal was widely seen as a rebuilding move by Atlanta and a signal of Washington's long-term intent. However, Young's first stint with the Wizards was cut short — he appeared in just five games before sitting out with back and quad issues, having already missed time in Atlanta with an MCL sprain. In total, he played only 15 games across the 2025-26 season.
Over eight NBA seasons, Young has averaged 9.8 assists per game, earned four All-Star selections, and led the Hawks to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.
Draft-Night Timing
Young committed one day before Washington picks No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, with AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson as the top two prospects on most boards. Locking in Young before draft night gives the front office clarity on its backcourt before making the biggest roster decision of the franchise's rebuild.
The Wizards' offseason has moved past the marquee contract into staff building, with Patrick Ewing joining Brian Keefe's coaching staff as an assistant.
Source: ESPN, Bleacher Report
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