Trae Young, the star the Wizards landed late at the trade deadline in january, is expected to decline his $48.97 million player option. At 27, the point guard has decided to turn down the extension clause in his Washington Wizards contract in order to sign a longer deal. Even so, plenty of other teams would love to get the former Atlanta floor general into their locker room.
This is not a breakup, or at least it does not have to be. It looks more like a deliberate pause, a strategic in-between. Young wants to test the market, hear the calls, and find out just how much his name still carries and whether someone is willing to come in higher than the U.S. capital. And yet, even with this shift, one thing is still clear: he does want to keep this Washington run going. The only difference is that the conversation now happens on different terms.
Trae Young plans to decline his $48.97 million player option for the 2026–27 season to become a free agent on Monday, per @MarcJSpears
“Washington remains the front runner as he loves the team and DC, but he still expects multiple team max interest.” pic.twitter.com/DO2mwsMpxM
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) June 18, 2026
Washington, a short stop that already feels electric
Arriving in January in a trade that shook the NBA, Young left the Atlanta Hawks in an attempt to give fresh life to a franchise still searching for its identity. But fate did not hand him much time to settle in. Just five games in a Wizards uniform this season, a tiny sample, but enough to show his impact: 15.2 points and 6.2 assists a night. Those numbers are down on his usual standards, but in this context, that is hardly a shock.
The Wizards’ season took a far harsher turn. 17 wins and 65 losses, the worst record in the entire NBA regular season. A year that looked more like a rebuild than a race, with a bonus thrown in for good measure: the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, set for June 23. There have been signs of progress too, with Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington and Julian Reese among those helping the capital club lay the foundations of something worth watching.
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A decision that keeps every door open
Turning down an option does not slam a door shut. More often, it keeps every one of them cracked open. In Young’s case, the logic is obvious: take back control of his future, strengthen his hand in talks, and maybe put the next chapter in Washington together on better terms.
Behind the move sits a cold read of the situation. The team is still far from settled, the plan is not exactly rock solid, and Young knows his value is not measured by five games in a wrecked season.
A summer full of pressure, a future still up in the air
It is hard to pin down Trae Young’s value right now. He is a star point guard, no question, but since his extended spell out in Atlanta, the Hawks have started to look more functional. That is probably not a coincidence, even if it does not tell the whole story. Young remains an elite shot creator, the kind of guard who can bend an offence with his vision and his scoring.
One thing hangs over everything else: uncertainty. Even if the Wizards appear to be front-runners to bring the guard back, he could easily end up somewhere else when free agency opens in July.
Crédit : Photo par GREG FIUME / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
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