Months after the Washington Wizards made waves by trading for Trae Young, the All-Star point guard has finally made his debut.
The moment Wizards fans had been waiting patiently for was delayed by Young’s rehab from a right knee MCL sprain. When Washington acquired him in January, Young hadn’t played since the month before.
Now, on a minutes restriction as he shakes off the dust, Young has competed in four games for the District. In 20.5 minutes per contest, he’s averaging 13.8 points and 6.5 assists on 56.3% shooting.
Even in these brief stretches, Ice Trae has already given Washington a glimpse of what’s ahead.
Trae Young’s On-Court Impact
Young is an offensive engine. With his playstyle, nearly every action runs through him. His passing, gravity, and mastery of the pick-and-roll make for loads of options to put the ball in the basket.
Last season, Young assisted an estimated 46.5% of field goals when he was on the floor. In 2021-2022, arguably his best season, the Hawks thrived with him on the court and stumbled without him. Their offensive rating dropped by 9.9 points per 100 possessions when he sat.
That year, Young shepherded Atlanta to the league’s second-most-efficient offense.
Now, with a few games under his belt as a Wizard, Young has shown flashes of that same impact on a smaller scale.
Washington’s stagnant, lack-of-ball-movement offense looks different now. Young has orchestrated the two-man game, located shooters on the perimeter, and pushed the pace in transition.
His value was perhaps best represented in his second run in Wizards colors, Washington’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Young’s third assist of this outing shows just how much attention he draws.
Driving to the basket, he fakes a pass to the rolling Alex Sarr and makes DeAndre Jordan bite. To recover, Herbert Jones, knowing Young’s strength in pick-and-roll, slides over to help. This rotation leaves the corner exposed. Young quickly eye-fakes there, pulling Trey Murphy away from Tre Johnson at the top of the key, who he finds.
Making defenses scramble is nothing new to Young, and it will give his teammates space.
But his court vision doesn’t just create shots for others. It gets him open, too.
With opponents aware of his ability to swing the ball outside when he drives, they stay attached to shooters. This creates an avenue for open looks in the key, where Young likes to work his floater-magic. It also leads to his dazzling trademark layups.
How Does This Look Next Season?
The final stretch of 2025-2026 is a transition period for the Wizards. After receiving stars in Young and Anthony Davis while giving away very little, the organization is continuing to develop its young core and positioning itself for a high draft pick before competing in the East.
But right now, Washington has to wait before they can put this all together. Young is still on a minutes restriction. Davis’ left hand won’t be re-evaluated until late March. Sophomore Kyshawn George is rehabbing his elbow, and the highly anticipated draft lottery isn’t for two months.
But once the cards fall into place, an offense centered around Young has the potential to take off.
Pairing him with a pick-and-roll partner works like peanut butter and jelly. With Sarr and Davis, Young has two. Davis, in particular, will fit well with a passer like Young, much like he did playing with LeBron James in Los Angeles.
Young also has spacing to work with, as Sarr is not afraid to stretch the floor.
The elephant in the room regarding Young is his defensive woes. But with these two protecting the paint, some of those shortcomings can be mitigated. Add in Bilal Coulibaly, who averages 3.2 deflections per game, and the Wizards have the necessary defensive manpower.
George and sophomore Bub Carrington, both 38% three-point shooters, have never played with a creator like Young in their pro careers. The pull that he generates should produce the kind of wide-open shots they rarely saw before. If their opportunities translate, Washington’s below-average 35.5% three-point shooting could climb too.
Young’s real work in Washington has yet to begin. But so far, the preview looks promising.
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