Overview
- Multiple outlets report no draft compensation changed hands, ending Young’s seven-plus seasons as Atlanta’s centerpiece.
- Young has played 10 games this season due to knee and quad injuries, and he is immediately eligible for a multi-year extension in Washington with a 2026–27 player option still on his contract.
- Washington was identified as Young’s preferred destination and the move reunites him with Travis Schlenk, the executive who drafted him in Atlanta.
- Atlanta acquires McCollum’s roughly $30.6 million expiring salary and shooter Corey Kispert, gaining short-term financial flexibility and leaning into a younger core led by Jalen Johnson.
- Fan and media reaction questioned the light return, and reporting indicates the Hawks are evaluating follow-up moves before the Feb. 5 deadline, including interest in Anthony Davis.