Trade Evaluation for Trae Young 1-for-2 Deal: Hawks Rated B, Wizards B+, Washington Favored as the Winner

On January 8th Beijing time, the Hawks and Wizards finalized a 1-for-2 trade where the Hawks traded Trae Young to the Wizards for McCollum and Kispert. This deal did not include any draft picks. Later, Yahoo Sports assigned grades to the trade, rating the Hawks with a B and the Wizards with a B+. At this point, the Wizards appear to be the favored beneficiaries of the trade.

Hawks Trade Grade: B

Looking solely at the assets exchanged, the return for Trae Young seems somewhat modest. Despite his clear defensive weaknesses, his exceptional passing skills have led one of the league’s top offensive systems, and last season he averaged 11.6 assists per game, the highest in the NBA. As a pick-and-roll initiator, his talent has often gone underappreciated.

Trae Young’s flaws do reduce his trade value, but the limited league interest also relates to the depth of talent at the point guard position and his contract situation. He is earning $46 million this season with a $49 million player option for 2026-27. Most teams already have a core point guard as their foundation and are reluctant to take on such a large salary.

The Hawks, however, are eager to move on from this contract. If no extension is reached, Young is likely to exercise his $49 million player option next season. Once the contract expires, the Hawks will gain salary cap flexibility to sign a mid-level player better suited to complement Jalen Johnson next summer.

Young’s trade value has also been further diminished by a decline in his shooting ability. At his peak, he was one of the league’s elite scorers, and his defensive shortcomings were somewhat tolerable. But his three-point shooting has steadily dropped, hitting only 30.5% this season and 34% last season. Additionally, changes in league rules have limited his ability to draw fouls, reducing his free throw attempts.

Turning to CJ McCollum, his contract expires this season, and he remains a player who can contribute immediately. The Hawks rank 20th in half-court offensive efficiency and are in urgent need of his three-point shooting, scoring, and playmaking skills. Although no longer at his peak, McCollum still serves as a reliable “plug-and-play” scorer for the team.

Kispert can also boost the Hawks’ scoring potential. He has a career three-point shooting percentage of 38% and is an underrated cutter with strong finishing ability around the rim. Like McCollum, however, his defensive performance leaves much to be desired. At 26 years old, significant defensive improvement seems unlikely. Considering this flaw, his contract is slightly above his true value but still provides useful support for the team.

There is speculation that this trade might be a step toward the Hawks pursuing Anthony Davis. Notably, for the remainder of this season, McCollum’s and Kispert’s contracts cannot be combined for trade purposes. To acquire Davis, the Hawks may need to use Porzingis’s expiring contract as the centerpiece, along with draft picks and promising young players.

It is too early to fully evaluate this trade; much depends on how the Hawks leverage their newly gained roster flexibility. For now, however, this appears to be a deal they had to make. Some question whether they should have tried harder to maximize Trae Young’s value beforehand, but clearly, the era led by him had stalled. This trade gives the Hawks a fresh opportunity to aim higher, and their decisiveness in moving on from a franchise cornerstone is commendable.

Wizards Trade Grade: B+

The Wizards have a clear deficiency at the point guard spot, and they acquired Trae Young—ranked 8th among NBA point guards in the preseason—at a very low cost.

The cost to the Wizards was minimal. The 34-year-old McCollum’s contract is expiring and he was not part of the team’s long-term plans; Kispert, while a quality role player, is replaceable.

This trade also has little impact on the Wizards’ financial situation. According to salary expert Smith, the Wizards are expected to have over $80 million in salary cap space by summer 2026. Even with Young’s salary added, the team will still have ample room to make moves in free agency.

Trae Young will help accelerate the development of the Wizards’ young players. Though his offensive output has declined, he remains efficient at creating scoring opportunities and generating open shots for teammates.

Alex Sarre is likely to be the biggest beneficiary. Young’s skill in alley-oop passing means Sarre can expect more easy finishing chances near the basket as part of the new lineup.

Through this trade, the Wizards gain the chance to evaluate Young at a low cost. If he exercises his player option, he will become another large expiring contract next year, which the team could potentially trade for additional assets. At only 27 years old and currently in the deepest shooting slump of his career, it is not unrealistic for Young to improve his value.

However, the Wizards also face some risk. They must send a first-round pick with top-eight protection in 2026 to the New York Knicks. Currently, the team ranks fourth from the bottom in the league. If Young significantly boosts the team’s performance, the Wizards might be forced to give up this valuable lottery pick to the Knicks. Although the team prefers to keep the pick, an improvement in player talent is ultimately not the worst outcome.