The Washington Wizards may be on their way to losing one of their star players this offseason as Trae Young reportedly plans to forego his 2026 player option, which would make him a free agent next week.
“Wizards star Trae Young plans to decline his $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season to become a (free agent) on Monday, sources,” posted ESPN’s Marc J. Spears to X. “Washington remains the front runner for the four-time NBA All-Star as he loves the team and DC, but he still expects multiple team max interest.”
Young was acquired by the Wizards in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 9 and appeared in only five games with Washington before his season came to an abrupt end due to back and quad injuries. Between his two stops in 2025, he averaged 17.9 points per game, his lowest scoring average since he entered the league in 2018. Young averaged over 24 points per game each of the previous six seasons.
The nine-year veteran is 27 years old but is still expected to receive a hefty pay day this offseason. Young has already earned $192,825,403 throughout his career, according to Spotrac.
Washington has the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which is set for June 23-24, when they are expected to target one of the top prospects to, in their eyes, hopefully join Young and Anthony Davis, who was acquired via a three-team midseason trade that included the Wizards, Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets. With that said, that plan hinges on Young re-signing with the team, which is uncertain at this point.
