Lakers Star Luka Doncic Shares His Thoughts On Trae Young Being Traded To The Wizards

Trae Young was traded to the Washington Wizards last night and stars around the NBA shared their reaction to Young being moved, including Luka Doncic

Jan 26, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) talks to Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) after a game at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Trae Young era in Atlanta is officially over. One of the greatest players in franchise history is on the move to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert and the Hawks are beginning a new era of basketball centered around young forward Jalen Johnson.

Young was initially brought to Atlanta in a controversial trade that sent the Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic on draft night nearly eight years ago. That trade has been picked apart many times since then but the two players have always been linked together even with Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

After the Lakers loss to the Spurs last night, Doncic was asked about Young being moved to the Wizards and he reflected on the draft night trade that happened:

"Obviously we got traded for each other so there has been a lot of talk about me and him, we have a great relationship. I have a lot of respect for him and if he is excited about this new journey, then I am excited for him."

"We got traded for each other. ... I have a lot of respect for him. So if he's excited for this new journey, I'm excited for him."

Lakers star Luka Doncic on the Hawks trading Trae Young to the Wizards 🗣

(via @mcten)pic.twitter.com/uX0FurCdVy

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 8, 2026

Analyzing the Trade

Nov 25, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) shoots the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

On the surface, the average NBA fan is going to think that the Hawks got fleeced in this deal. Young is a four-time All Star and one of the greatest players in Atlanta history. He lead the league in assists last season and is one of the top offensive engines and play makers in the league still.

If you dig deeper though, this is a perfectly reasonable return for Young given the contract status and his lack of trade value around the league. The best way to look at what happened through a Hawks lens is to see the flexibility that this now creates for Atlanta. With McCollum, Porzingis, and Luke Kennard, the Hawks have more than $70 million in expiring contracts that could turn into cap room this summer or be moved for a big time player via trade, such as Anthony Davis, who they have been linked to over the past few weeks.

That alone could make this trade worth it if the Hawks make the right moves. The players they have under contract next season are Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell, Vit Krejci, Mouhamed Gueye (team option for next season), and N'Flay Dante. McCollum, Porzingis, and Kennard are all going to be gone, and if the team wanted maximum flexibility, they could decline the team option on Gueye, though I highly doubt that is something that will happen. Not only that, they could have two first round picks, including a shot at the No. 1 overall pick, thanks to the trade with the Pelicans.

Of course, the Hawks have to make the right moves with this flexibility and add to this team in a responsible way. Flexibility only matters if you use it right.

For the players they got back, McCollum can help fill the role that Young had on the team. McCollum is still a very good scoring guard, who can hit from three and the midrange game. On any given night, McCollum can drop 30 plus points and lead an offense. It will be interesting to see whether he starts or not for the Hawks moving forward, but he does bring value to this team on the offensive end of the court.

Kispert is one of the best shooters in the league and will help space the floor for the Hawks. He is a 39.5% three point shooter this season and while he will have three more years on his contract after this season, it is at a manageable number. As a 7th or 8th man off a bench, Kispert is a perfectly reasonable player to have on the team.

While it might not seem like a lot on the surface, the Hawks have more optionality and flexibility with Young not on the roster anymore. They can continue to build around Jalen Johnson and the younger players while having the choice to either trade for a big star given their number of expiring contracts and space or wait until summer and add to the team. That is going to be the true test for the Hawks to prove that trading one of their best players in franchise history was worth it.