Trae Young talks about his desire to play for Wizards after Hawks trade, says DC is 'overlooked'

Trae Young's move from Atlanta to Washington marks the end of an era. Trae Young said that after being traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Washington Wizards, he believes Washington, D.C. is an underappreciated basketball city. The Hawks completed the deal on Wednesday, sending Young to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

The Atlanta Hawks traded four-time All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards

Young added that once he is cleared to return to action, his focus will be on quickly developing strong chemistry with his new teammates in Washington.

"D.C. is overlooked, as far as a big market," Young said Friday during his introductory press conference with the Wizards. "In the NBA, I feel like this is a big market."

Young implied that he now hopes to take on a leadership role on a young Wizards roster.

"There's so many young guys here, and they're so mature, too," Young said. "As young as they are, you can see the maturity in them, the want to learn. Some of them have been asking me questions already... those guys are just sponges, you can tell, and they are gym rats."

He further added, "I know, as soon as I run a pick-and-roll with Alex [Sarr], and I get him a little drop-off to a dunk or a lob, or I see Bilal [Coulibaly] cutting and he gets the ball, and it's not just cutting just to cut— that builds chemistry. That builds trust," Young said.

"They've gotta know I give effort on the other end, too. They're gonna see that, and that's how you build trust with your teammates."

There is still no firm timeline for when Young will make his debut for the Wizards.

Trae Young has appeared in only 10 games this season due to multiple injuries, most recently a right quad contusion and an MCL sprain in his right knee.

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said on Friday that the organization’s main focus is on getting Young fully healthy before setting a clear return date.

Young said the decision on his comeback would rest with the team, though he added that he hopes it happens soon. Washington currently sits 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 10–26 record, and Young has already been ruled out of Friday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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