Trae Young appeared in just 15 NBA games last season — 10 with the Atlanta Hawks and five after he was traded to the Washington Wizards.
As such, Young has slipped out of the NBA spotlight.
Just two years ago in 2024-25, Young earned his fourth career All-Star selection — averaging 24.2 points and a league-leading 11.6 assists per game. He’s now looking to return to that elite form in his first full season with the Wizards franchise in 2026-27.
“This is the most slept on I’ve been in my whole life,” Young said during a recent appearance on “The Pivot” podcast. “I know there’s a lot of recency bias when it comes to media. Imagine the Wizards are the No. 1 team in the East next year. What are people going to be saying?
“I haven’t played very much in a year and a half because of some injuries, the trade, things like that. But trust me, I’m just entering my prime.”
The Wizards have a lot to look forward to with Young, Anthony Davis and the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA draft.
“I know our team is going to be ready,” Young added. “We have young guys that have been through the rebuilding stage. They went through a lot of losing these last few years and they’re tired of it. … I want to be right there with them when we’re winning.”