Hawks Say 'Emotional' Farewell to Trae Young After Trade to Wizards

Young will be missed in Atlanta.

Young was dealt to Washington in the middle of the Hawks' win Wednesday. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Trae Young is headed to Washington, but he'll be missed in Atlanta.

Young, in the middle of Atlanta's 117-100 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday night, was traded from the Hawks to the Wizards in exchange for guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert. And despite both Young and the Hawks seemingly desiring a fresh start, the four-time All-Star's Atlanta teammates weren't exactly jumping for joy to see Young go.

“We talked about it as a team,” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson told reporters, according to sports anchor Justin Felder. “He said what he said and it was kind of emotional, but that's just the business of it. I think everybody understands it at the end of the day, but we're all appreciative and excited for Trae.”

"He always cared about his teammates, despite what everybody said. He was somebody that loved to make everybody around him better."
Jalen Johnson in #Hawks locker room after Trae Young was traded to Washington.
Extended comments ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mrREbRdYI8

— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) January 8, 2026

Young, who was seated on the Hawks’ bench in street clothes when news of the deal broke, exchanged handshakes with teammates before heading off the court towards the tunnel. He would return to the bench before the end of the game, but the moment with teammates served as a public goodbye.

It was evident—by both the words and actions of Hawks players—just how much Young meant to this team.

“Trae was just always himself,” continued Johnson. “I think I respect that the most about him. He always cared about his teammates, despite what everybody said. He was somebody that just loved to make everybody around him better. So I think that's one of the things I picked up early from him.”

Fellow guard Dyson Daniels told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution that the Hawks “were going to miss” Young. 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher expressed gratitude that he and Young crossed paths.

Sharpshooting big man Kristaps Porziņģis, wittily avoiding a direct mention of the unofficial trade, expressed regret that he didn't get to share the court more often with Young.

Some wordplay from Kristaps Porzingis as he expressed some sadness over not getting to play with Trae Young more:

“Offensively, he was a wizard.” pic.twitter.com/bTWmiHQwlg

— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) January 8, 2026

“...I was getting open looks all the time so of course I wanted to play with him more,” Porziņģis said. “He's one of the best passers that I've played with and I think everybody was benefiting from playing with him. Offensively, he was really a wizard. And yeah, he's an amazing player. Amazing, amazing player. And I'm sad. I'm sad I didn't get more time with him.”

Young heads to Washington, where he'll instantly become the face of the franchise. Meanwhile, the likes of Johnson, Daniels, Risacher and others will become the new faces of the Hawks in Young's stead.

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