Who won the Trae Young Blockbuster Trade? National Media Opinions Are Split

Who won the massive trade between the Hawks and the Wizards?

Oct 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After nearly eight full seasons as the face of the Atlanta Hawks franchise, Trae Young has been traded.

During the Hawks' game against the New Orleans Pelicans last night, ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news that Young was going to be traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Things began to heat up this week when NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Wizards had emerged as a legitimate destination for Young, and things progressed with each day. Now the Hawks are going to turn the page on one era and begin one that does not include their all-time leader in assists.

Who won the trade?

Jan 2, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard CJ McCollum (3) looks on during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Most star player trades surprise people with the return that the team sending out the star receives. This was the case last night as a lot of Hawks and NBA fans were surprised that all it took to get Young was the expiring deal of McCollum and Kispert.

So who won the trade? You can make the case for either team, but there have been differing opinions. ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave the Hawks a "B" grade for the trade, while Zach Harper at The Athletic was not as kind, giving the Hawks a "D+."

Here is some of what Pelton had to say to explain his reasoning:

"Looking forward, this trade gives Atlanta the ability to reshape its roster. The Hawks no longer have any player making more than $31 million at any point during his contract. They can re-sign or extend McCollum (and potentially Porzingis, depending on his health) and have ample flexibility to add to the roster this summer without threatening the luxury tax.

In the longer term, Atlanta is betting on the development of Johnson -- a good bet to make his All-Star debut -- and the draft picks the team has coming to supply needed shot creation. The Hawks have the better of first-round picks this year from the Milwaukee Bucks and Pelicans thanks to their trade on 2025 draft night.

Only the Indiana Pacers have a worse record than the Pelicans, and the Bucks would also be in the lottery if the season ended today. Projections using ESPN's Basketball Power Index give Atlanta the No. 1 pick via that trade in 15% of simulations.

If the Hawks can find another star through the draft, they've collected enough quality role players with an emphasis on defense to build around them better than they could Young. That offers hope for a new era in Atlanta."

Harper had a different sentiment:

"The Hawks wanted a culture change, and they’re getting one. It would help if Kristaps Porziņģis were healthy, but the Hawks will need to prove this is the right move by finding a guard to lead the franchise at some point. And this hasn’t been the most well-run organization over the last … few decades?

However, the new front office is trying to change that. Selling this as addition by subtraction is one thing, and many people can look at the small sample and get behind this. Not getting a single draft pick for a 27-year-old with career averages of 25 points and nine assists, with the way some trades have happened, is out of the ordinary.

Right now, you have to judge it on what the Hawks are getting in return, regardless of how big you think the culture will positively change without Young. It will be possible to make a low grade look ridiculous in the future, but they have to prove that for more than just a few weeks."

What Next?

Jan 7, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shown on the court before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

I think the best way to judge this trade will be seeing what the Hawks do with this new found flexibility and from the Wizards side, whether they keep Young past his current contract and extend him.

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'Faly 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.