What Trae Young Extension Could Look Like for Wizards

This Washington Wizards team is in desperate need of a point guard, and it is evident in their last few games without CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Luckily, they have said point guard in Trae Young. There are a few problems with Young, though. The first is that he is currently injured and will not play much for the Wizards this season. The second is that he is on a player option and wants an extension.

“I would be surprised if he plays much, if at all, the remainder of this season.” 👀

- Wizards insider @JoshuaBRobbins on Trae Young pic.twitter.com/Hl9C9p50Hb
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 8, 2026

The first problem just takes time and patience. The second problem is trickier, as it requires mutual agreement. The signs point towards Young signing an extension and picking up his player option. The cost of keeping Young is unknown, but we can compare other contracts to see what his extension could look like.

What is Young set to make

Young will not be able to make the most of his next extension. This Wizards team is young and needs money for rookie extensions. The former Atlanta Hawks guard has also taken a step back and is not a great defender. Right now, he is set to make nearly 50 million dollars on his player option. At most, he might make $ 40 million per year on his next extension.

Looking at other contracts in the league, though, we have an idea of what the contract extension could look like in total. Before looking at them, it is important to note two things. The first is that the salary cap is expected to increase by no more than 10 percent. The second is that the current CBA is coming to an end, so it could eliminate specific second-apron punishments or cap limits.

With that out of the way, there are three players we will look at for a potential extension for Trae Young. These guards are Jalen Brunson, Jordan Poole and Derrick White. This is not saying Young is better or on the same level as these players. This instead says that, due to certain factors, his contract could be similar to those of all these players.

For Brunson, he took a pay cut to build a contender in New York. It is not certain that Young would do the same, but if he really wants to buy into what is going on, taking a pay cut would help. Derrick White is someone who has come up on the rise, could have made more money, but stayed in Boston to be on a contender. Once again, something Young could be willing to do. Finally, the former Wizards guard Jordan Poole. Poole is an offensive demon just like Young, but struggles on defense. Both players face the same issues, but Young is more established.

Trae Young talking about how excited he is to play and help his new teammates. — Jan 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Newly acquired Washington Wizards guard Trae Young speaks at an introductory press conference prior to the Wizards' game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Taking those three contracts into mind, an estimated extension for Young and the Wizards could be between 32 million dollars and 40 million dollars per year. That is around 25 percent of the cap space, which is not bad whatsoever for someone of Young's caliber. It is important to note that contracts should be viewed as percentages. If he takes a contract for around 35 million dollars per year, that is around 23 percent of the cap. Still leaves room for extensions while allowing the team to enter the first apron if necessary.

The contract, no matter what, will look like it costs a ton of money. If you change your perspective, Young making just over 20 percent of the cap is not alarming at all and, in fact, a great deal for both sides. This is what this scribe is currently estimating for Young's next extension, though.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!