Wizards' Trae Young gets $49 million contract update with option pending

Wizards' Trae Young gets $49 million contract update with option pending originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>Trae Young still hasn't played a game for the Washington Wizards.

>That seems likely to change, though. They wouldn't have made the trade to get him from the Atlanta Hawks just to lose him this quickly.

>Young's contract has some fascinating layers heading into the offseason, though, that leave multiple options on the table for the Wizards.

>It starts with a literal option -- Young has a player option in his deal for the 2026-27 season that is for about $49 million.

>If Young opts out, the Wizards could sign him to a longer-term deal.

>If Young opts in, he could still get an extension tacked on top of his option year.

>The Athletic's John Hollinger thinks that the latter route will be what happens, because he writes that the Wizards benefit against the cap from those finances versus an entirely brand new deal.

>"Having Young opt in and then sign a two-year extension with declining money may work better for Washington’s cap," Hollinger wrote over the weekend. "The Wizards can shoulder a $49 million contract this year, add the top pick in the draft and use most or all of their non-taxpayer midlevel exception and still skirt the luxury tax. However, the out years get tricky once they look at extensions for their younger players (notably Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George in 2028)."

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>The Wizards have a weird balance of players, with those younger guys mentioned by Hollinger and also the deals that went down to get Young and Anthony Davis. They've also got the first overall pick.

>Washington's roster could take a lot of shapes in years to come, but at least for now, Young doesn't seem likely to go anywhere. It's just a matter of what the contract ends up looking like.

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