Trae Young plans to decline $49M player option; will enter free agency
Washington Wizards guard Trae Young is set to test the market in free agency, which will officially begin on Monday, as he will decline his $48.97 million player option.
ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported the development on Wednesday.
It was the expected move from Young, who was traded to the Wizards in February after eight years with the Atlanta Hawks.
“Washington remains the frontrunner for the four-time NBA All-Star as he loves the team and DC, but he still expects multiple team max interest,” noted Spears on X.
Young is coming off an injury-riddled campaign, playing only five games and averaging 15.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.
He already stated that he wants to be part of what the Wizards are building and seeks a long-term extension, as confirmed by ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.
Atlanta shipped the flashy guard to Washington in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
If they stay healthy, the Wizards could be a dark horse in the Eastern Conference, with Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Bub Carrington leading the charge. They also own the No. 2 pick in next week’s NBA Draft, which would likely land them either AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, or Cameron Boozer.
