Star guard Trae Young raised some eyebrows when it was reported that his preferred trade destination was the Washington Wizards. Players don’t typically want to get traded to Washington. If anything, the opposite is usually the case.
But, Young wanted the Wizards, and he ultimately got his wish, as the Atlanta Hawks relocated him to Washington earlier this week.
Trae Young explains why he wanted trade to D.C.
During his introductory press conference with the Wizards, Young explained what it was about Washington that was attractive to him.
“I’m just super excited. For me, D.C. is overlooked as far as a big market. In the NBA, I feel like this is a big market,” Young said. “I just feel like I’m coming into an opportunity to be myself. I’m around people that obviously have known me for a long time and know the type of person I am and the type of winner I want to be.
“And I know it’s a day-by-day process. I know what it takes. It’s not going to be easy. But I know this is a place that I’m excited about and I was excited about whenever I heard it could be a possibility.”
It remains to be seen when Young when make his debut for the Wizards. He’s dealing with a sprained knee and a quad bruise and hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 27.
When he does return, he’ll be sporting a different number. Young wore No. 11 during his time in Atlanta, but that number is retired in Washington, so he was forced to switch to No. 3.
It also remains to be seen how long Trae’s tenure in Washington will last. The four-time All-Star has a player option in his contract for next season, which he could turn down in favor of unrestricted free agency. Though, one would assume that the Wizards traded for Young with the intension of inking him to an extension.
The expectation around the league is that Young will indeed sign an extension with Washington, per ESPN, but it remains to be seen when that might happen.
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