Anthony Davis might not be planning to stay with the Washington Wizards long-term, but it looks like Trae Young does. NBA insider Marc Stein reports that Young is expected to opt out of his $49 million player option for 2026-27 and sign a new deal.
“Trae Young is expected to sign a new longer-term deal with Washington rather than invoke his $49 million player option for 2026-27.”
The Wizards had acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in January 2026. Injuries meant the 27-year-old only played five games for his new team after the trade, and according to Stein, he is expected to get about $40 million less over the length of his new deal than what he is eligible for.
“Early projections on the likely ballpark for Young’s new deal with the Wiz: $120 million over three seasons. Young has until June 23 — Night 1 of the draft — to activate or bypass the player option. He’s eligible for a three-year extension worth nearly $160 million until June 30.”
Young’s stock has fallen to the point where a $40 million-a-year deal seems more than fair enough. The four-time All-Star ended up with averages of 17.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game for the Wizards and Hawks in 2025-26.
Young wasn’t the offensive machine that we had seen him be in years past, and injuries certainly played a role in that. He first missed 22 games at the start of the season because of a sprained right MCL.
Not long after Young returned, the Hawks ruled him out again, citing a right quadriceps contusion. He’d miss six games and was then traded to the Wizards. Young then sat out for 25 more games before making his debut for his new team due to a sprained right MCL and right quadriceps contusion.
Young’s first game as a Wizard was the 122-112 loss to the Utah Jazz on March 5. He’d play four of the next five games as well, but was out again after that. The Wizards first ruled Young out with a right quadriceps contusion, and lower back irritation was later added as another issue he was dealing with. He wouldn’t play another game the rest of the way as the team finished with a league-worst 17-65 record.
All that losing did lead to the Wizards winning the 2026 draft lottery. They have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and are expected to select former BYU star AJ Dybantsa. A playmaker like Young would make life on the court a whole lot easier for Dybantsa or whoever else the Wizards end up selecting.
Having Davis around would also help, but he has reportedly been dropping hints about wanting out. It would have been interesting to see Young play with the big man, but that might not happen.
Even without Davis, there would still be some intriguing pieces on the Wizards, like the No. 1 pick, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, for Young to work with. He is looking to resurrect this franchise, but that sure won’t be an easy task.
