The news of the Atlanta Hawks trading their star guard, Trae Young, to the Washington Wizards has shocked the NBA world. And now, the Oklahoma native has shared his reaction to the news on Instagram, taking a subtle dig at his now-former team, the Hawks.
Young, who is nursing a right quad contusion, last took the court against the New York Knicks. The last five games he played resulted in a loss for the team, as the Hawks currently sit in the ninth spot in the Western Conference. The team has decided to look forward and regroup, trusting its wings, including Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Dyson Daniels.
However, Young did not seem content with the decision as he took to Instagram to keep his side of the story. In an emotional post, the 4-time NBA All-Star began with a quote from the Bible and then wrote, “Never thought I’d be typing this…”
Young added:
“Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal. However, the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn’t make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential…However, the pain of staying the same outweighed the uncertainty of change. Change is often met with fear, but I see it as another opportunity.”
The Hawks have received CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert from the Washington Wizards in return for Trae Young. They have also reduced their cap by about $1.35 million and have a year to utilize that. While Young is expected to give a fresh wave to the Wizards, facilitating the offense for youngsters like Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr, the Hawks forward Kristaps Porzingis felt sad that he couldn’t spend more time with the elite guard.
“I’m sad I didn’t get more time with him,” Kristaps Porzingis reacts to the Trae Young trade
The Hawks acquired Kristaps Porzingis before the 2026 season, and he instantly added to the team’s production, averaging 19 points in October and 18.5 points in November. When asked about his thoughts on the recent Trae Young trade, the Hawks wingman said:
“Obviously, he’s one of the best passers that I have played with. I think everybody was benefiting from playing with him… Offensively, he’s a Wizard… He’s an amazing, amazing player, and I am sad I didn’t get more time with him.”
Porzingis on Trae Young: “The few minutes we got I was getting open looks all the time … I’m sad. I’m sad I didn’t get more time with him.”
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Porzingis was on point with his praise for the elite passer. Young holds several franchise records and is only the second player in the NBA to lead the league in points and assists.
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