Trae Young’s Free Agency Decision May Already Be All But Settled

As the offseason moves along, All-Star point guard Trae Young will be entering the open market as he’s expected to opt out of the $48.7 million player option to enter unrestricted free agency.

Although he’s no longer under contract, the Washington Wizards are believed to be the frontrunners to secure him.

Washington acquired him in a trade in early January in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert after his tenure with the Atlanta Hawks flamed out. The Hawks moved forward with their young core, led by Jalen Johnson, and reached the playoffs by securing the Southeast Division title with a 46-36 record.

The Wizards are hoping to build their roster around Young and fellow trade acquisition Anthony Davis to push toward the playoffs next season. Young played in five games with the Wizards last season, averaging 15.2 points and 6.2 assists, while shooting 59.5 percent from the floor and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Even as Young enters free agency for the first time in his career, the expectation is that he returns to the Wizards, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst voiced that he believes the star guard will stay put.

“When Trae Young was traded to Washington in January, it came with the understanding that he would opt out of his contract,” Windhorst said via Hoops Rumors. ”The expectation is he may take a meeting or two, for appearance’s sake. He’s going to re-sign with the Wizards, likely on a three-year, very large contract.”

Time will tell what Young decides to do, but a path back to the Wizards remains the likely outcome.