Trae Young Becomes Free Agent After Declining Player Option, Wizards Lead In 2026-27

Trae Young is expected to enter free agency on Monday, with reports stating the Washington Wizards guard will decline a $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season. Washington is still viewed as the leading candidate to keep the four-time All-Star.

Several rival franchises are monitoring Young’s situation and are believed to hold interest if talks with Washington stall. The decision arrives after a disrupted campaign in which Young appeared in only 15 games split between two teams following a mid-season trade.

The Atlanta Hawks sent Young to the Wizards on Jan. 7, receiving CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return. Young featured 10 times for Atlanta before the deal and then five more games for Washington, giving both sides only a brief look at the new arrangement.

Young’s production dipped in the short stint with Washington, where the guard averaged 15.2 points and 6.2 assists. Earlier in the season with Atlanta, Young recorded 19.3 points and 8.9 assists. The year before, during 2024-25, Young led the NBA with 11.6 assists across 76 games.

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Those numbers followed seven previous seasons with the Hawks, who selected Young fifth overall from Oklahoma in the 2018 NBA Draft. Washington now must judge whether that playmaking profile suits a reworked core that includes Anthony Davis, rising players Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson, plus the top pick in next week’s draft.

The Wizards are coming off a fifth straight campaign without a playoff appearance in 2025-26 and have recorded only 50 wins across the last three seasons, the fewest in the league. That context increases the pressure on how strongly the franchise pursues Young in free agency.

Young’s upcoming choice, and Washington’s response, will help define the next stage for both sides. The Wizards seek stability after years near the bottom of the standings, while Young evaluates where this phase of a high-assist career should continue.