The noise around Trae Young testing the free agent market? Apparently it is just that. Noise.
Young opted out of his $49 million contract with the Washington Wizards, which immediately set the rumor mill on fire. Some people jumped to the conclusion that he was looking for the exit door. But according to multiple insiders, that take is completely off base.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints put it bluntly on X, writing that sources described the idea of Young looking elsewhere as nonsense. That is about as direct as it gets.
Brian Windhorst, speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, laid out the situation pretty clearly. He said when Young was traded to Washington back in January, there was a mutual understanding. He would opt out of his current deal. He would not play the rest of that season. And eventually, he would sign a new contract with the Wizards.
Windhorst added that Young might take a meeting or two with other teams. You know, for appearances. But the endgame is obvious. He expects Young to re-sign in D.C. on a three-year deal that will be very large.
The Wizards have quietly built a solid young core around him. Anthony Davis is there, bringing veteran leadership to a group that needs some serious experience. Now they also have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. That selection gives them a chance to grab the best player available, which could speed up this rebuild faster than anyone expected.
This has been the expectation since the trade went down. It was probably a major reason why Young even listed the Wizards as a preferred destination in the first place. The point guard wanted to land somewhere with potential, not a team stuck in neutral.
Washington was never planning to let him walk. And Young never planned to leave. That is just how this deal was structured from the start.
So for all the panic about Trae Youngs future, it sounds like the only real mystery is how much money the Wizards are about to hand him. Everything else is already settled.
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