The moment Atlanta Hawks fans have simultaneously feared and expected has finally arrived. In a move that signals a complete philosophical shift for the franchise, superstar point guard Trae Young has been traded to the Washington Wizards.
The deal, which reportedly sends veteran CJ McCollum and sharpshooter Corey Kispert to Atlanta, marks the unceremonious end of the “Ice Trae” era. But this story isn’t just about a trade; it’s about a changing of the guard in the NBA—literally. It’s about the rise of the “point forward,” the decline of the small guard, and a franchise making a cold, calculated bet on the future.
The Surreal Departure
The atmosphere surrounding the trade was nothing short of surreal. Rapper Boosie Badazz, sitting courtside, captured the bizarre final moments of Young’s tenure. In a video that quickly went viral, Boosie narrated the scene as Young, dressed in street clothes, dribbled a basketball on the sidelines, seemingly aware that his time in a Hawks uniform had expired.
“He down there dribbling the basketball with his clothes on,” Boosie exclaimed, his voice a mix of confusion and realization.
Moments later, Young was seen saying his goodbyes. He dapped up staff members who had been with him for years. He found comedian DC Young Fly in the crowd to share a final embrace. It was a quiet, almost melancholy exit for a player who once bowed to the Madison Square Garden crowd after hitting a playoff winner.
Luka’s Live Reaction
The connection between Trae Young and Luka Doncic will forever be linked to the 2018 draft night trade that swapped them. Fittingly, Doncic was one of the first to react to the news—live on camera.
When a reporter broke the news to him that Young was heading to the Wizards for McCollum and Kispert, Doncic appeared genuinely surprised.
“Oh, that’s really where…?” Doncic paused, processing the information before pivoting to a gracious answer. “Obviously we came together, we got traded for each other… I have a lot of respect for him. If he’s excited for this new journey, I’m excited for him.”
It was a classy response, but the subtext was clear: The Mavericks won the trade long ago, and now the Hawks are hitting the reset button.
The “Death of the Small Guard”
Why trade a franchise cornerstone now? According to NBA veterans Gilbert Arenas and Kenyon Martin, the writing has been on the wall.
In a candid discussion, Martin broke down the brutal reality facing players of Young’s stature.
“That’s the last dying breath of the point guards,” Martin argued. “The point guards now are your 6’9″ guys that can play pick and roll… The small guards are hollering back.”
Martin pointed to the emergence of Jalen Johnson as the catalyst for this move. At 6’9″, Johnson is averaging near-triple-double numbers and offers the defensive versatility that Young simply cannot. The league is trending toward size. Teams want giants who can handle the ball—the Lukas, the LeBron, the Ben Simmons types (in theory).
“You got to be special… really elite to be a small guard now,” Martin noted. The Hawks looked at the landscape, looked at their defensive struggles with a small backcourt, and decided that the future belongs to the giants.
The Jalen Johnson Era Begins
If there is a winner in this scenario, it is Jalen Johnson. The 24-year-old forward has been a revelation for Atlanta, and the organization has clearly anointed him as the new face of the franchise.
Speaking to reporters after the news broke, Johnson was visibly emotional but pragmatic. He described the trade as “bittersweet.”
“It’s just a business,” Johnson said, his tone somber. “He makes the game easy for everybody… what he’s able to do is super special.”
Johnson credited Young with welcoming him to the team and helping his development, admitting there was “sadness” on the bench when the team learned of the move. However, he also acknowledged the excitement for Young’s next chapter in Washington.
But make no mistake: this is Johnson’s team now. The Hawks are betting that building around a versatile, 6’9″ playmaker is a safer path to a championship than relying on a heliocentric, undersized scorer.
What’s Next?
For Trae Young, Washington offers a fresh start, though perhaps not the contender situation he might have hoped for. He joins a rebuilding Wizards squad where he will undoubtedly have the green light to shoot, score, and entertain. But will it lead to winning?
For the Hawks, the pressure shifts to Jalen Johnson and the front office. They have traded a known commodity for pieces (McCollum, Kispert) that fit a system better but lack Young’s star power. They are banking on addition by subtraction—hoping that a more balanced, defensive-minded team led by Johnson can exceed the ceiling of the Trae Young era.
As Boosie watched Young dribble away in his street clothes, he witnessed more than just a player leaving. He witnessed the end of a specific type of NBA basketball in Atlanta. The small guard show is over. The age of the giants has arrived.
