By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Atlanta Hawks are trading four-time All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, according to ESPN.
Young, the former face of the Hawks, is leaving Atlanta after seven-plus seasons and goes to his preferred destination, where he is expected to have a similar role.
According to the report, the Wizards believes the trade is the next step in the organization’s development process amid a rebuild. It also reunites Young with the Wizards executive, Travis Schlenk, who drafted him No. 5 overall in 2018 for the Hawks.
On the other side, the Hawks with Young sideline due to injury, have seen their young core thriving with Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher, being not only the future but also the present of the team.
McCollum serves as a valuable plug-and-play veteran leader for the Hawks while holding a $30.6 million expiring contract, which provides Atlanta with added financial flexibility to pursue another star.