Trae Young is Adapting a New Role with the Wizards

Trae Young is having to adapt his game with the Washington Wizards, but it may actually work out more than people think.

Mar 16, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) on the court against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trae Young has always been a ball-dominant guard in his NBA career. Before last season, his career usage rate was 31.9 percent, showing he has always been the focal point of an offense. Now with the Washington Wizards, his role may see his usage rate decrease. General manager Will Dawkins pointed out some statistics and shared quotes that suggest Young may be in more off-ball situations next season.

Young Having to Adapt His Game

Mar 8, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) reacts after a three-point basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During his press conference on July 10, Young, along with Dawkins, was asked many questions regarding next season. However, one quote from Dawkins, given to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, has really stood out regarding his role next season.

The quote goes as follows: "We have multiple decision-makers, and we've talked to him about playing on and off the ball, and I think we're going to open that up for him in a way he hasn't been able to do in his career."

If this is really the case, and all signs point towards that being so, this team is about to be dangerous on offense. This allows Young to almost have a role we saw with Steph Curry for a time. Young can use off-ball screens to get around defenders and cause chaos, leading to even more open three-pointers in games. This will also allow AJ Dybantsa and Kyshawn George to still have on-ball roles and situations where both thrive.

Even though Young has had such a high usage rate in the past, the version we did see in five games was different. This is also evident in the stats. When Dawkins was asked by Wizards on SI why he wanted to bring back Young, he gave a statistical answer. He noted that during his short sample here, Young has had his lowest usage rate but highest assist percentage in his NBA career so far.

Typically, Young is sitting in the 30 percent range for usage rate and the 40 percent range for assists. In his five games as a Wizard, though, his usage rate dropped all the way to 26.3 percent and 47.5 percent via Basketball Reference. The usage rate is a career low, and the assist percentage is a career high for the veteran guard. These stats alone show that Young is buying into playing more off-ball with the Wizards.

This is not to say the Young is strictly going into an off-ball role, however. He is still going to have many possessions as the primary ball handler and get his isolation and pick-and-roll opportunities. Just his usage rate won't be as high as it has been in the past.

Still, this offense with multiple ball handlers and guys who can play off-ball will be fun to watch. It makes it practically impossible to double-team a player. If a team decides to double Young, it leaves more opportunities for Dybantsa. If they double Dybantsa, the same thing can be said for Young. Overall, this new era for Young is also a new way for him to play in the NBA.

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