Category: NBA

There has already been one big NBA trade this year. Will Giannis Antetokounmpo force another?

Don't bet on it. In league circles, talk of an in-season Antetokounmpo trade has died down amid reports that the Bucks are looking to add at the trade deadline, not trade the best player in franchise history. The only way Antetokounmpo gets traded at the deadline is if he demands a trade, and he told Sam Amick of The Athletic he would not go there.

"There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment, that I will come out and say 'I want a trade,'" Antetokounmpo, who can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2027, told The Athletic. "That's not … in … my … nature. OK?"

Later, Antetokounmpo reiterated what he said before, that he can't control the speculation online and in the media about his future, or who talks to his agent, or who calls the Bucks. However, he was very clear that he intends to be with the Bucks through the end of the season.

"I am not (going anywhere). I am invested in this team. I want to turn this team around. I want to play good basketball. I want to be healthy. I want to help my teammates. I wanna win games. The last six games we've played, we're 4-2. We have a lot of games in front of us. I'm locked the f*** in. I'm locked in. My priority is just staying healthy."

The rubber will hit the road with Antetokounmpo and his future in Milwaukee this coming offseason, when the team can offer him another max contract extension, heading into what could be the final year of his contract (he has a player option for the 2027-28 season, he can be a free agent in 2027). Every time that has happened previously, Antetokounmpo has used it as leverage to push the Bucks to upgrade the roster (such as adding Jrue Holiday, a key to their 2021 title), then ultimately signed the deal. If he signs the deal this summer, the pattern continues.

If he does not, the Bucks will be forced to trade him — without him directly asking out — or risk losing him for nothing in the summer of 2027. And there are multiple teams lined up with cap space for that offseason (hello, Clippers!).

But all of that is this summer. For now, listen to Antetokounmpo's words — he is not going anywhere this season.

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.

The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three, five, and ten games, and for the entire season, to see which trends stand out to you.

All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also extremely generous. Be sure to follow him to check out all of his baseball data as well.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Tyrese Maxey jumps into the top five

Fantasy managers expected big things from Maxey, and he has delivered thus far.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Atlanta Hawks

Well, it's official, Trae Young is now a member of the Washington Wizards. My colleague Kurt Helin covered the fallout from that trade, so check that out. Young has missed the last six games with a quad injury that will probably magically heal when he arrives in Washington. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been a top-70 player in the last six games that Young has been out, and stands to benefit the most in a trade since he could become a starter. Onyeka Okongwu and Dyson Daniels would also continue to be top-50 players now that Young is no longer in town.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics' situation has remained steady, and they have been much better than many expected. For fantasy purposes, the only truly relevant players are Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Payton Pritchard. It's best not to hunt on the margins for others.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets got both Egor Dëmin and Terance Mann back last week and have become a feistier team of late, thanks to their strong defense. They're still not a particularly good team, and really only Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton have much fantasy value. Claxton missed two games this week for personal reasons, and Day'Ron Sharpe stepped up in his absence, but it seems like Zaire Williams would be the player who gains the most playing time if/when Porter Jr. gets traded. Dëmin is also developing pretty nicely as a rookie and shooting the ball well of late.

Charlotte Hornets

Ryan Kalkbrenner has now missed nine straight games, which has led Moussa Diabaté to be a top 100 player, while averaging 31 minutes a game over the last two weeks. We also saw Tidjane Salaün starting to come into his own a bit before an ankle injury caused him to miss a couple of games. This team has four intriguing young players, but I'm not sure the fit with all of them is particularly great. I'm curious to see if the Hornets make a move at the deadline.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls remain without Josh Giddey (hamstring) and Coby White (calf), and I discussed all the repercussions of this in a video last week. Jalen Smith has also now missed a few games with a concussion, which has led to an increase in minutes for Patrick Williams. Smith's name has also come up in trade rumors, so Williams could have more consistent playing time if that happened, especially as Zach Collins (toe) remains sidelined.

Cleveland Cavaliers

On one hand, Darius Garland is starting to look healthier, which is great news for the Cavaliers. On the other hand, Max Strus (foot) was ruled out for yet another month and won't return until the middle of February at the earliest. That should continue to lead to more minutes for Dean Wade, who has supplanted De'Andre Hunter in the starting lineup, but Wade is also dealing with a minor knee contusion of his own. Jarrett Allen has been paying off his uptick in minutes and has been a top-90 player over the last two weeks, so we can hope that role continues.

Dallas Mavericks

Except for their few season-ending injuries, the Mavericks have been pretty healthy of late. Anthony Davis continues to be rested here and there, and we do expect him to be traded, but he's been a top-60 player over the last two weeks, and he and Cooper Flagg work well with one another. Brandon Williams continues to own the starting point guard role and has been a top-100 player over the last two weeks, averaging 19 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

Denver Nuggets

We know that Nikola Jokić will miss a month due to a knee injury, and Cameron Johnson is still sidelined. However, the Nuggets have gotten back both Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun this week. I covered the fallout of that in a video.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons had been one of the healthiest teams in the league so far this season, but now they are dealing with injuries to Jalen Duren (ankle), Tobias Harris (hip), and Caris LeVert (knee).I covered the ripple effects of that in a video this week.

Golden State Warriors

Draymond Green has been battling an ankle injury, as well as his own boredom and ejections, over the last few weeks. He remains a borderline top-100 player in fantasy basketball because he contributes a little bit across the board, but there's no "buy low" type of situation here. Other than that, this team is driven by Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, along with a collection of other players who occasionally contribute.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets lost Alperen Sengun to an ankle injury right after he was battling a calf injury. Steven Adams, who was also battling his own ankle injury, should see the biggest uptick in minutes and usage, but Jabari Smith Jr. will also be relied on more. He's been a top 100 player over the last two weeks, averaging 15 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game. I covered all the ripple effects of the Sengun injury in a video this week.

Indiana Pacers

The Packers are relatively healthy aside from Isaiah Jackson (concussion), who wasn't playing much anyway, and Bennedict Mathurin, who will now be sidelined for "a while" with a thumb injury. We also know the Pacers aren't trying as they look to add a top-three pick to a roster that will be getting back Tyrese Haliburton next season.

Fantasy Basketball Week 2 Injury Report: Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards headline the list of sidelined stars

The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Los Angeles Clippers

Just after the team got Derrick Jones Jr. back, he's now sidelined for the next six weeks with a Grade 2 MCL sprain. James Harden has also been dealing with a shoulder injury that caused him to miss one game, but Kawhi Leonard has been electric this season and is a top-five player in all of fantasy basketball over the last two weeks. Ivica Zubac returned over the weekend and was up to 33 minutes in his last game, so he should return to his regular role after missing five games. That pushed Brook Lopez back to the bench and cut into minutes and usage for John Collins.

Los Angeles Lakers

Last week, we covered the injuries to Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, so little has changed for the Lakers this week. This remains a two-man team with Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and LeBron in particular has really come on of late, pushing up top-20 value over the last two weeks.

Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant has missed the last three games with a calf injury, Cedric Coward has missed the last two with an ankle injury, and Brandon Clarke remains sidelined with a calf injury. Oh, and Zach Edey is still out for another week, and Ty Jerome is probably out another week or two. Did I miss anything? Morant had actually been turning the corner before the calf injury, averaging 23.5 points, 7.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals over the last two weeks. The Grizzlies had lost most of those games, but that's another story. There's a chance we see this team fully healthy by the middle of this month, and that could be fun.

Miami Heat

Tyler Herro returned after missing 11 games with a toe injury, andI recorded a video on the fallout from that this week.We should note that Jaime Jaquez Jr. has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, so even though Herro did come back, this team is not at full strength. When they are, I think we see Nikola Jović take a hit in both his minutes and usage.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are fully healthy right now (well, aside from Taurean Prince being out), so the minutes allotment of late is what we should expect going forward. It's been nice to see Ryan Rollins remain productive with both Kevin Porter Jr. and Giannis Antetokounmpo playing nearly 30 minutes a game. Rollins has remained a fringe top-50 player over the last two weeks with Giannis back. I'm still a bit confused why this team traded for Myles Turner when he is not really bringing much to the table, but that's a conversation for another time. Kyle Kuzma has seen a drop in his minutes and production with this team healthy.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Terrance Shannon is out for a couple of weeks with a foot injury, and while that doesn't really impact the rotation, he's an intriguing young player. Everything else is pretty much status quo here, and it's interesting to see Naz Reid continue to be productive and a fringe top-100 player in fantasy leagues despite this team being fully healthy and him playing fewer minutes.

New Orleans Pelicans

Herbert Jones missed seven games with an ankle and then returned for one game and sat out the second game in a back-to-back. We should expect him to ramp back up in the coming weeks. Trey Murphy III also had a historically good week, which I covered in a video here, but then he sat out the second game in the back-to-back as well, so Bryce McGowen got some extra usage. Saddiq Bey has missed the last four games with a hip injury, but nobody really stepped up to fill his spot. It's really just been Murphy III, Derik Queen, and Zion Williamson. Of course, Dejounte Murray could be back in a week or two, so that could make things interesting.

New York Knicks

Josh Hart has missed seven games with an ankle injury, and, boy, does this team need him. In addition to his defense, the team has sorely lacked the toughness and grit that he brings when he's on the court. They did rebound nicely in a win over the Clippers on Wednesday, and it seems that Mike Brown has started to shorten his rotation a bit after the losing streak, which led to fewer minutes for guys like Tyler Kolek and Kevin McCullarJr. We know who the studs are here, and that's unlikely to change.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are battling a CVS receipt list of injuries, but none of them seem overly serious. Isaiah Hartenstein has missed the last six games with a calf injury, Alex Caruso has missed the last two with a back injury, and Jaylin Williams has been out since December 13th with a heel injury. This team is plenty deep, so they've been able to transfer the minutes around, but, from a fantasy perspective, really only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams can be counted on regularly, with Ajay Mitchell also hanging around as a fringe top-100 player.

Orlando Magic

Jalen Suggs returned last week from his hip injury and then suffered a knee injury that will keep him out indefinitely. We've already seen how the Magic disperse their minutes without Suggs, butI covered it in more detail in a video this week.We could also get Franz Wagner back this weekend, so that would be a big boost for the Magic and a big hit to Tristan da Silva's or Jase Richardson's minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers

Kelly Oubre Jr. returned on Wednesday for the first time since November 14th. He played just 20 minutes, but we should expect that number to rise in the coming weeks. With Oubre back, we saw Jared McCain play just 10 minutes, and Quentin Grimes was down to 26, which is a little dip from where he was previously. We should expect those three to siphon some minutes off of each other, but it will be curious to see if Oubre will supplant Dominick Barlow in the starting lineup. Grimes is the only fantasy-relevant player that Oubre would impact, but it's a situation to monitor.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns are inching closer to getting Jalen Green back from a hamstring injury, and it will be interesting to see how he fits into this team. Collin Gillespie has been a top 75 player in fantasy basketball over the last month, averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. It would make sense that he loses some minutes when Green returns, but it's really hard to take him off the court. Green's minutes would then have to come at the expense of Jordan Goodwin, who has been solid in a reserve role this season. Grayson Allen also returned for two games after missing 11 games with a knee injury, so the Suns have kept his minutes pretty low for now. We've also seen Dillon Brooks be a fringe top-100 fantasy player without Green on the court. It's hard to see that continuing when Green comes back and soaks up usage.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers have been without Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant for a while now, but both of them could return this weekend. That would take away a lot of the playing time for Caleb Love and move both Siddy Cissoko and Kris Murray back into smaller roles.

Sacramento Kings

Keegan Murray will be sidelined for three weeks with a back injury, and the Kings will likely remain without Domantas Sabonis for another two weeks. That will lead to increased playing time for Precious Achiuwa, but the offensive burden is going to be taken on by Zach LaVine, who returned from an ankle injury, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan. Maxime Raynaud is playing tons of minutes and is a great story, but he's not a great fantasy asset.

San Antonio Spurs

Devin Vassell has missed five games with an oblique injury, which has led to Julian Champagnie getting plenty more run, including a tremendous performance against the Knicks on New Year's Eve. Victor Wembanyama is still having his minutes monitored, but he's been productive, and the Spurs are winning, so we may have to assume that continues, which is why Luke Kornet continues to see solid minutes. More minutes than Dylan Harper, who has clearly taken a backseat in the Spurs' trio of talented guards.

Toronto Raptors

We now have five games with RJ Barrett back from his knee injury, so it's clear how this Raptors' rotation is shaking out. Jamal Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, and Ochai Agbaji have seen their minutes decrease while Collin Murray-Boyles continues to play good minutes and has actually been a borderline top 100 fantasy player over the last two weeks. That could also be due to the Raptors being cautious with Jakob Poeltl's back. Barrett has settled in, averaging 20.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in his five games back, and both he and Immanuel Quickley remain top-75 fantasy assets alongside Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, who should be an All-Star.

Utah Jazz

Not much to see with this Utah team. Ace Bailey returned after missing five games with a hip injury, but he will likely take a while to have his minutes ramped up. Jusuf Nurkić has been a real asset for the Jazz lately, and this team is feisty. I recorded a video this week covering Nurkić and also the Jazz conundrum about whether to tank or risk losing their first-round pick.

Washington Wizards

This Wizards situation could change drastically after the Trae Young trade. My colleague Raphielle Johnson covered all angles of that trade in an article this week.

This was a win-win trade.

How big those wins are hinges on a lot of yet-to-be-determined factors — Can Atlanta use their newfound financial flexibility to land Anthony Davis or another star this offseason? Can Trae Young stay healthy and fill the role of veteran leader and mentor a young team needs? — but this is a trade that made sense for pretty much everyone involved. There aren't many losers in this deal.

Let's break down the winners and losers in this deal. We'll start by laying out the trade.

Washington receives: Trae Young
Atlanta receives: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert

Note: There are no picks involved in this trade. While the players involved in this deal were agreed to relatively quickly, league sources told NBC Sports that part of the holdup in finalizing the trade was that both sides believed they should receive draft-pick compensation. Atlanta thought they deserved it because they were giving up the best player in the deal, an All-Star level point guard (when healthy) in his prime. Washington thought they deserved picks back for taking on the extra year (a $48.9 million player option Young is expected to pick up) of a contract that Atlanta wanted to dump. Ultimately, the sides agreed to make the trade without picks.

Winner: Washington Wizards

Washington is a winner here, not simply because they get a four-time All-Star and elite offensive player to organize and lead their young core — it's that they got him for basically nothing. McCollum is on an expiring contract and is not part of Washington's future. While Kispert is a quality, sharpshooting wing rotation player, he's not part of their core.

It's easy to envision how a healthy Young can elevate a young Wizards core: Alex Sarr will benefit from pick-and-rolls with Young (plus Young can throw a post entry pass, something the current Wizards struggle with), Tre Johnson is going to get plays run for him off ball where he can find more space and Young will find him, Kyshawn George has ball handling help, and on down the line. Young has not been healthy this season, a knee issue limiting him to 10 games (and clearly bothering his shot), but the potential is there.

THE CAVEAT: Washington is only a winner if they hold off on extending Trae Young. Part of what Young's agents were looking for in a landing spot was a team willing to talk extension, but Washington needs to see how Young fits with their young stars, then see who they get in this draft, and not extend him until the 2027 offseason. If Young fits perfectly and this all works out, they can re-sign him (not at the max, more like below $40 million a season), but if not, the Wizards need to be ready to stick with their young guys and move on.

Loser: Washington Wizards’ defense

Washington has the 29th-ranked defense in the NBA this season. Trae Young is a minus defender (to put it kindly). Washington is going to be a lot more fun to watch with Young running the show, but they are not going to stop anyone. It's going to get ugly.

Winner: Atlanta Hawks

It was time to move on.

That's why this is a win for Atlanta, it's a needed pivot to a young, long, athletic, fluid core of a team that really is the future. Jalen Johnson should be an All-Star this season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is having a breakout season and is a high-level two-way two guard, plus they have Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu and more. On top of all that, they have the Pelicans' first-round pick in this June's draft (a pick that could very well be a top-five pick). Atlanta has set itself up for the future.

This trade also gives the Hawks financial flexibility. They can use that trade for Dallas' Anthony Davis — the Hawks reportedly have been his most aggressive suitor — or they could wait until this offseason and see if they could add a star player more on the timeline of their young core (rather than a 32-year-old with an injury history). Whatever they choose, with CJ McCollum and Kristaps Porzingis coming off the books, Atlanta will have at least $32 million in cap space to reshape their roster next offseason. All that money makes it easier to turn the page.

Winner: Wizards fans

Washington has been a tough watch for a couple of years. While they have good young players like Sarr and Johnson, this team has lacked a player more casual fans could rally behind. They needed someone to sell tickets.

Trae Young sells tickets. Tray Young excites fans. Young running the Wizards offense with all that athleticism around him is going to be highly entertaining — and Wizards fans will take that.

Washington has given its fan base someone to root for. That matters.

Maybe winner: New York Knicks

Washington owes its 2026 first-round pick to the New York Knicks, but it is top eight protected. Before Wednesday night, that seemed irrelevant. The young Wizards were learning on the job and were destined for a high lottery seed (they sit fourth in the lottery at the time of the trade).

With an energized Trae Young running the show, could the Wizards get on a heater and start to climb up the East standings, maybe make the play-in, and end up turning over their pick to the Knicks?

Probably not. Young has been battling knee issues all season, and Washington will use that if needed. Even if Young does start playing games for them soon, don't be shocked if the Wizards shut him down with an injury with plenty of time left in the season — Washington needs more elite talent on the roster and this draft is the best way for them to get it. Save the test run with Young for next season.

Still, Knicks fans can dream.

In recent days and weeks, the rumblings surrounding Trae Young's future in Atlanta grew too loud to ignore. Having appeared in just ten games this season due to injury, the point guard's production slipped, and the Hawks failed to string together wins when Young was on the floor.

Add in the continued emergence of Jalen Johnson, and offseason addition Nickeil Alexander-Walker exceeding the expectations of many, and the writing was on the wall. On Wednesday night, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Young was traded to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Atlanta receives some salary-cap relief, as McCollum will be an unrestricted free agent in June, and he and Kispert can provide shooting around Johnson, who appears to be the Hawks' new cornerstone. Let's look at this trade and how it affects the fantasy values of the players involved and their new teams.

Washington receives: Trae Young

When healthy and playing at his best, Young can be a highly valuable fantasy player, especially in eight-cat formats. However, in the short term, it's fair to question what the Wizards' plans are for the franchise's new point guard. Young has missed Atlanta's last five games with a quad injury. Was the injury the only reason why he sat? Or did the trade speculation and desire to avoid aggravating anything have a role? It would clearly be in Washington's best interest to exercise caution with Young, not only for his health but also for the potential impact on the 2026 NBA Draft.

Washington's first-round pick is top-8 protected; if it falls outside of that range, it will go to the Knicks. And at this stage in the franchise's rebuild, adding another elite talent in what is a loaded 2026 draft class would be good business. With that in mind, would the Wizards consider shutting Young down, as Toronto did with Brandon Ingram last season? We'll see.

Young's fantasy value, once he gets on the court, should be fine. How he and Alex Sarr mesh in the two-man game is something to watch, and Young's presence may also benefit wings Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson. That said, Bub Carrington may be in a challenging spot, even if he were (for some reason) to start alongside Young. Bub's value may receive a short-term boost if Young isn't immediately ready to play, but dynasty league managers who have him rostered can't be thrilled with Wednesday's development.

With McCollum and Kispert now out of the picture, the clock begins to tick on Khris Middleton. Like CJ, the experience and wisdom he brings to the locker room can't be overstated. But, if the Wizards can acquire future draft capital in exchange for Middleton at (or before) the February trade deadline, one has to assume that they'll make the move. He still isn't playing back-to-backs, and the time off may increase if he's in Washington after the deadline. One would hope that some of the availability concerns would subside if Middleton is moved to a team with playoff ambitions.

Atlanta receives: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert

The Hawks' decision to move Young boosts the fantasy values of two players in the immediate aftermath of the move: Johnson and Alexander-Walker. Johnson has become a triple-double threat this season, offering first-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Even with McCollum joining the fold, the ball is going to be in his hands plenty. As for Alexander-Walker, he should continue to serve as the starting point guard. Despite playing well enough to merit being rostered in most leagues, NAW is still available in more than half of Yahoo! leagues. Look for that to change, beginning Thursday morning.

Dyson Daniels may receive a slight boost to his fantasy value because of the additional playmaking opportunities, but he's unlikely to benefit at the level that Johnson and Alexander-Walker should. Post players Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porziņģis will be intriguing to watch, as both have been quality fantasy options (when healthy, in the case of the latter). No Young in the lineup did not result in a sharp decrease in their scoring opportunities, thanks mainly to Johnson's improved playmaking.

The players who may be at most significant risk of a drop in fantasy value may be those who are rostered in less than 20 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Zaccharie Risacher should remain a starter, but Atlanta's bench improved with the addition of McCollum. With Risacher already offering limited fantasy value, the second unit's increased strength may result in fewer minutes for him. Luke Kennard and Vit Krejčí are also in challenging spots, and they already brought limited fantasy value to the table.

It had become clear that Atlanta needed to make a change, having underwhelmed after entering the season with expectations of competing in the East. McCollum and Kispert may not move the needle immediately, but moving on from Young's contract should make for an interesting summer.

Washington has a young core with potential. Alex Sarr is starting to break out in his second season, plus Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and the two-way potential of Bilal Coulibaly. What the Wizards lacked was an elite offensive player to tie it all together.

Enter Trae Young.

As has been rumored for days, the Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade Young to Washington for CJ McCollum and wing Corey Kispert, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by others. It felt meaningful that McCollum and Kispert were held out of the Wizards game on Wednesday, but the trade happened mid-game with Young saying his goodbyes to teammates in the arena.

Now Young gets to go to his preferred destination in Washington, while Atlanta gets to move on.

Young exits Atlanta, where he has been the face of the franchise since they traded for him on draft night more than seven years ago. He has been an entertaining fan favorite who averaged 25.2 points and 9.8 assists a game for the team and was a three-time All-Star. Young led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, only the second time the franchise had made it that far.

The writing was on the wall for Young's exit last summer when Atlanta chose not to extend his contract, instead opting to see how he looked with a revamped, healthy roster built to maximize his skill set. The reality is the Hawks have been better without him — they are 2-8 in the 10 games he has played and 15-13 in the games he has missed. It became clear that the Hawks were ready to pivot to a roster built around length and athleticism, featuring Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and others.

The decision for Young to move on was mutual, and his agents at CAA were working with the Hawks to find a trade that worked for everyone. Washington was his preferred destination.

For the Hawks, they get a player who can still get a bucket in McCollum, who is averaging 18.8 points a game this season, but also has a $30.7 million expiring contract. McCollum can help in the short term, while Kispert — a sharpshooting 6'6" wing hitting 39.5% from 3 point range this season, averaging 9.2 points a game — who will blend right into the Hawks rotation.

For Washington, they get a box office draw and someone for fans to rally around, an All-Star level offensive player who can lead their team on the court — and they gave up almost nothing. How much we see of Young the rest of this season is up for debate, however, as Washington owes its pick to New York but it is top-eight protected. Washington doesn't want to start winning too much all of a sudden and lose their pick in a deep draft with some potential franchise cornerstones at the top. The Wizards would currently enter the lottery with the No. 4 pick and are not going to want that to change too much.

While it is still 29 days until the Feb. 5 NBA Trade deadline — and big trades tend to happen closer to that date — there is a lot of smoke and clearly some fire around a Trae Young trade to the Washington Wizards.

Washington is Young's preferred destination, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. That is new and it matters. Young is a fan favorite and has been the face of the franchise in Atlanta for more than seven years, the team will want to do right by him. The Hawks front office and Young’s agents have been collaborating to find Young a new team, and now the Wizards are the clear frontrunners. The fact that CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert — two players expected to be sent to Atlanta in a trade — are sitting out the Wizards game on Wednesday feels like a little more than a coincidence.

A trade of Young to Washington for McCollum and Kispert works under the cap.

What to watch is the draft picks attached to this trade. While the instinct for many would be to say Washington needs to add draft picks to this deal — they are getting a 27-year-old three-time All-Star in his prime, a guy who has averaged 25.2 points and 9.8 assists a game for his career — the opposite is true, league sources told NBC Sports. Washington can argue that they are sending out the expiring contract of McCollum to take on one more year of Young, who has a $48.9 million player option for next season, which he is expected to pick up. Washington will want to be compensated for taking on that extra salary, even though it has the cap space to do so, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic discussed on The Athletic NBA Daily podcast. There could be an exchange of draft picks, but don't expect the Wizards to send out better picks than they take back in the deal, which has been their modus operandi in the Jordan Poole trade and others.

The other thing to watch for is a contract extension. Young wants to be on a team where he has the ball in his hands and somewhere he could sign a longer-term extension (he's not a max player anymore, not in the world of NBA tax aprons, but he still would command considerably more than an average starter). Washington can put the ball in his hands, but it will want to wait to see how he meshes with the young players the franchise sees as part of the future — Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly — before it talks extension. Young would pick up his option and be playing for his next contract.

On offense, Young would be a natural fit. Sarr, who has taken a big step forward this season, averaging 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game, should thrive with Young as a pick-and-roll partner. Plus, Young's gravity and passing would get Johnson, George and others plenty of better, cleaner looks in the halfcourt. On top of all that, this is a team that wants to get out and run, and Young's passing and style of play fit well with that.

On the other end of the court, Washington has the 29th-ranked defense in the NBA right now and Young is not going to help that.

What Young gives the Wizards is someone fans will pay to see, someone who should make their offense entertaining and will win them some games (and maybe get them in the play-in a year from now) — all without giving up anyone they see as a core part of their future. It's low risk. And if Young clicks with the existing core, the Wizards can always extend him.