2-for-1 deal! Trae Young officially traded! The first major transfer of the year

It's here, it's here.

The first major trade of 2026 is now official.

Insider Shams says:The Hawks have traded Trae Young to the Wizards, receiving CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return.

34-year-old CJ is in his contract year this season with a salary of $30.67 million, currently averaging 18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game; 26-year-old Kispert averages 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists; as for 27-year-old Trae Young, his averages are 19.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game.

Trae Young, still an All-Star in his prime, surprisingly didn't fetch even a draft pick, only an experienced veteran plus a role player in return. This clearly shows how low his trade value has fallen and how eager the Hawks were to move him.

Last summer, Trae Young was eligible for a four-year, $229 million max extension, but the Hawks declined to offer it. This summer, he also had a player option allowing him to decline and become a free agent early, so the two sides were destined to part ways mid-season.

Trae Young’s salary this season is about $46 million, with next season’s salary around $48.97 million. He is also eligible to sign a three-year, $157 million extension with the Wizards.

This guy was the 5th overall pick in the 2018 first round and spent eight seasons with the Hawks, averaging 25.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1 steal in regular seasons, and 26.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1.2 steals in playoffs. He was a four-time All-Star, once led the league in assists, and made the NBA All-First Team once.

The peak of Young’s career with the Hawks was the 2020-21 season when, as a third-year player, he led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Once a highly celebrated star, unfortunately, things changed and the two sides ultimately split over business matters.

By the way, the Hawks felt confident letting go of Trae Young because they have found their new leader in 24-year-old Jalen Johnson, who is currently averaging 23.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game this season, with shooting percentages of 52.1%, 36.7%, and 80.4% in the three main categories.