Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

[Stein] The Atlanta Hawks would be sending the Washington Wizards— or any team that trades for Trae Young— draft capital in return for taking on Young’s contract that has a $49M player option for the 2026-27 season.

Sources tell The Stein Line that the Wizards have been actively exploring their trade options with McCollum, who is playing out the final year of his current contract at $30.7 million after Washington acquired the veteran guard in the offseason in a deal that sent Jordan Poole to the Pelicans.

More salary would have to be added by Washington to make the salary cap math work in a trade for Young — and it's believed that the Hawks would also have to send the Wizards draft capital to convince them to absorb Young's contract — but the prospect of Atlanta trading its most popular player is only growing as the Feb. 5 trade deadline nears.

Young is earning $46 million this season and holds a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season that he is increasingly expected to exercise given the uncertain free agent market expected to greet him this summer.