Trae Young Sends Bold Message to Doubters After $212 Million Wizards Extension
Trae Young agreed to a four-year, $212 million extension with the Washington Wizards on June 22, declining his $49 million player option for next season to secure a long-term deal. The fourth year, in which he’ll be owed around $58.4 million, is a player option as well, and by then, he will be 32 years old.
The extension hasn’t come without its fair share of pushback. Young was sidelined almost all of last season due to multiple injuries, appearing in just 10 games with the Atlanta Hawks due to a right MCL sprain before being traded to Washington in January. He started in five games with the Wizards before being shut down for the season.
Across all 15 games last season, Young averaged just 17.9 points and 8.0 assists per game, both career lows, and shot 33.8% from three in a mere 5.3 attempts per contest, the lowest mark of his career. That’s a significant drop-off for a player who was drafted fifth overall in 2018, let alone one who’s now set to make over $50 million across the next four seasons.
The massive deal becomes even more complicated when you factor in the Wizards’ apparent youth movement. If those young players pan out, the money tied up in Young could make it harder to pay them what they’ll eventually be owed.
But on Friday, Young made it clear the doubts haven’t gone unnoticed, even if he’s not letting them get to his head.
"I know if we win, winning takes care of everything," Young told The Athletic. “I can't really get caught up in what people are thinking or what people are saying right now. What's done is done. So I'm going to make sure the people that believe in me are proved right."
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Expectations in Washington have shifted dramatically over the last few months, arguably more so than any other team in the NBA.
Shortly after acquiring Young, they traded for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis. While Davis has yet to play a game for the Wizards, that’s two multi-time All-Stars within the span of a month. And they’ve been added to an ascending young roster that’s quietly been making strides.
Kyshawn George, a 6-foot-8 forward entering his third season, averaged a career-high 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game last season, while Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, also saw career-highs with a team-high 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.
Rookie Tre Johnson averaged 12.2 points per game on 35.8% shooting from deep, while 6-foot-7 guard Bilal Coulibaly and 6-foot-4 guard Bub Carrington have each evolved into valuable, versatile role players who can impact the game on both ends.
And on June 23, the Wizards added what could be the final piece to that puzzle, selecting AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Dybantsa is already being viewed as a generational talent, drawing comparisons to Hall of Famers like Tracy McGrady and Scottie Pippen after a strong freshman year at BYU where he averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
A starting five of Young, George, Dybantsa, Davis, and Sarr, with Carrington, Johnson, Coulibaly, Khris Middleton, and Deandre Ayton coming off the bench, immediately makes this team a must-watch in 2026-27.
And if the end result is winning basketball games, Young believes that will be enough to justify the $212 million investment.
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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM.