Trae Young has turned down a guaranteed $48.97 million for next season, and almost everyone around the league expects him to come out ahead.
The Washington Wizards guard declined his 2026-27 player option this week, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. It is the kind of headline that invites a double take: a 27-year-old who played five games last season walking away from nearly $49 million guaranteed. The reality, according to the people who cover his situation, is far less dramatic.
"When Trae Young was traded to Washington in January, it came with the understanding that he would opt out of his contract," Windhorst said. "[Trae Young] is going to re-sign with the Wizards, likely on a three-year, very large contract."
The opt-out, in other words, was the plan all along. Young arrived in Washington in January, sent from Atlanta in a deal that returned CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Hawks. He appeared in only five games for the Wizards, averaging 15.2 points, 6.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 20.8 minutes, after a season disrupted by a sprained MCL and later a quad contusion and back trouble.
Andscape's Marc Spears framed Washington as the heavy favorite to keep him. "Washington remains the frontrunner for the four-time NBA All-Star as he loves the team and DC, but he still expects multiple team max interest," Spears wrote when he reported Young's plan to decline the option.
The logic behind the move is mostly mechanical. By trading a single guaranteed year now for a fresh multi-year deal, Young can lock in long-term security on his terms, and a lower annual figure would make him easier to build around, or, if it ever came to that, easier to move. Washington surrendered only an expiring contract and a player it had already moved on from to acquire him, so the franchise's downside is slim either way.
Young, for his part, sounds like a man who plans to stay and prove a point. Speaking on The Pivot Podcast, he made the case for a Wizards roster that will pair him with veteran Anthony Davis and the No. 1 pick in this month's draft, likely AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson.
"I know our team is gonna be ready. We have young guys that have been through the rebuilding stage," Young said. "They went through a lot of losing the last few years and they're tired of losing. I want to be there with them when we're winning."
He went further. "This is the most slept on I've been in my whole life," he added. "Imagine the Wizards as the No. 1 team in the East next year. Trust me, I'm probably just entering my prime. The way people talk about me is just funny."
Not everyone is convinced. The decision drew immediate backlash on social media, where fans questioned why a player coming off a 15-game season would pass up guaranteed money. The skeptics point to the same flaws that have followed Young for years, the defensive limitations and the turnovers, and wonder whether the open market will prove as kind as Windhorst suggests.
Washington won just 17 games last season, the league's worst record, which is how it landed the top pick. Young is betting that the rebuild is closer to turning than the rest of the league believes, and that the contract waiting for him will say the same.
