The Atlanta Hawks traded 4-time NBA All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for former Hawks player CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Trae, the longtime face of the Hawks franchise, reportedly asked to be traded. He got his wish and the Hawks get back 13-year veteran CJ McCollom, according to USA Today.
Trae, 27, is seen leaving the court for the final time in the 4th quarter of last night’s 117-100 win over the Pelicans at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. He slapped hands with a few fans as he left for the locker room in street clothes.
He did not play and has missed 5 games with a quad injury.
Trae Young leaves mid-game after his trade announcement ?
He leaves the court for the final time as a Hawk… pic.twitter.com/k5EgSjQkP7
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 8, 2026
Trae’s salary with the Hawks the 2025-26 season was approximately $46 million with a player option for 2027.
“I know you all have questions for me that right now I’m not at liberty to talk about or answer,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said following Atlanta’s win over New Orleans on Wednesday.
Jalen Rose’s daughter, sports influencer Mariah Rose, said Trae requested to be traded to “the graveyard of the NBA.”
“For somebody to rather be in Washington playing for the Wizards than play for the Hawks is perplexing to me,” she said in a video after news of the trade broke on Wednesday.
She said even more perplexing is the Hawks trading away their All-Star for CJ McCollum. “That’s the new star of the Atlanta Hawks. They’re not serious!”
Watch the video below.
It’s like they aren’t even trying to not be mid pic.twitter.com/bb67494fnK
— mariah rose (@mariahcrose) January 8, 2026
