Washington Wizards guard Trae Young has a decision to make.
The 27-year-old has a June 23 deadline to exercise his $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which is considered by many as an unlikely move.
Here are the options Young and the Wizards have if he declines his option:
What an extension looks like
If Young opts out, which multiple reports expect, he has until June 30 to sign an extension with Washington that holds a maximum value of three years and $156 million.
While a three-year extension makes sense, it will likely be for less money, with multiple reports projecting a $120 million deal that takes him through the 2028-29 campaign.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has extended two players during his tenure, both of which were rookie-scale extensions. He gave Deni Avdija $55 million and Corey Kispert $54 million over four years.
Both extensions were descending value, which means the cap hit started higher and ended lower than the contract’s average annual value (AAV). Considering Dawkins’ history, a potential Young extension would likely follow a similar structure.
Here’s what that cap hit would look like if Young signs a three-year, $120 million extension at descending value, as noted in an episode of the Third Apron podcast with Yossi Gozlan.
2026-27: $43,478,261
2027-28: $40,000,000
2028-29: $36,521,739
For reference, the Toronto Raptors gave Brandon Ingram a three-year, $120 million extension almost immediately after they acquired him via trade last season. After sitting the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, Ingram averaged 21.5 points as he led Toronto to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.
Young wants to be a Wizard
The Wizards acquired Young in a January trade that sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks.
On a recent podcast appearance on “The Pivot,” Young made clear his desire to get dealt to Washington — a place he believes is on the verge of something special.
“I wanted to go [to Washington]. It’s not like [Atlanta] just shipped me there. That wasn’t the case,” Young said. “… I know our team is gonna be ready. We have young guys that have been through the rebuilding stage. They went through a lot of losing the last few years and they’re tired of losing. I want to be there with them when we’re winning.”
Young said he plans to bring several Wizards teammates to train with him this summer, which serves as another indicator of his offseason plans to remain in Washington.
A chip on his shoulder
It’s no secret many sold their Young stock after he played just 15 games last year amid a slew of injuries, which included a quad contusion, MCL sprain and back irritation.
But that’s only fueled Young’s motivation to prove those doubters wrong.
“This is the most slept on I’ve been in my whole life … Imagine the Wizards as the No. 1 team in the East next year. What [are] people gonna be saying?” Young said. “I haven’t played much in a year and a half, but trust me, I’m just entering my prime.”
An in-depth breakdown of Young’s pending decision on “The Wizards Podcast”
Our Greg Finberg broke down what a potential extension could look like and what the former All-Star could bring to next year’s Wizards squad.
