Trae Young Declines His $48.97 Million Player Option With The Washington Wizards And Is Set To Hit Free Agency

Washington Wizards guard Trae Young has declined his player option with the team and will become a free agent.

Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) advances the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Washington Wizards star guard Trae Young has decided to decline his player option for the 2026-2027 season with the team. The option is worth $48.97 million, and this comes just months after being traded to the Wizards back in March.

However, Washington is still the favorite to land Young on a long-term deal. That is not a sure thing, though, because there are reportedly multiple other teams interested. He is now set to become a free agent on Monday.

Trae Young plans to decline his $48.97 million player option for the 2026–27 season, sources tell @MarcJSpears.

He will become a free agent on Monday. Washington remains the front runner. pic.twitter.com/FjP0cK34tN

— ESPN (@espn) June 18, 2026

This is a major development for both the NBA and for fantasy basketball. The Wizards will also have some decisions to make with star forward Anthony Davis this offseason.

Fantasy Impact

G Trae Young, Washington Wizards

Young just walking for nothing would obviously be disastrous for a franchise that has been struggling for a long time. While he certainly has his shortcomings on the defensive side of the ball, he can still be one of the most dynamic scorers and playmakers in the game, and can be an elite shooter.

Injuries limited him to just 15 games last season, but for his career, he is averaging 25.1 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field and 35.2% shooting from three. He has also averaged an impressive 9.8 assists per game and one steal per game on the defensive side of the ball.

In his last healthy season in 2024-2025, he averaged 24.2 points per game and a career-high 11.6 assists per game. He can create for himself, but he can also create for his teammates when asked to. Those assists totals have increased every year of his career prior to last year.

Whether Young lands in Washington or elsewhere, he can bring instant offense. We know he is going to get buckets and distribute at an elite level. Of course, where he lands can have a significant impact on his fantasy value, so that is a situation we will be monitoring closely.

We expect him to be one of the hottest names on the free agent market this offseason, so it shouldn't take long for him to find a home. On a team like Washington, he could be a volume shooter who scores a ton of points, but he could be even more dangerous if he lands on a team surrounded by shooters and playmakers. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

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