{"id":2037918,"date":"2026-07-11T00:23:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T21:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2037918"},"modified":"2026-07-11T00:23:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T21:23:05","slug":"trae-young-keen-to-prove-skeptics-wrong-believers-right-by-winning-in-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2037918","title":{"rendered":"Trae Young keen to prove skeptics wrong, believers right by winning in Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>LAS VEGAS \u2014 Trae Young knows the narrative that surrounds him now that he has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7382866\/2026\/06\/22\/trae-young-washington-wizards-new-contract\/\">signed a four-year, $213 million contract<\/a> to remain with the Washington Wizards.<\/p>\n<p>That he\u2019s lost a step.<\/p>\n<p>That he\u2019s so ball-dominant that he will take needed developmental reps away from Wizards prospects such as AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>And, above all else, that the Wizards are going to pay him way too much money.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In an interview Friday with <em>The\u00a0Athletic<\/em>, Young\u00a0acknowledged that all the skepticism about him does hurt \u2014 but not so much that it will change his mood or prevent him from doing what he needs to do next.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know if we win, winning takes care of everything,\u201d Young said\u00a0after a news conference related to his new deal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t really get caught up in what people are thinking or what people are saying right now. What\u2019s done is done. So I\u2019m going to make sure the people that believe in me are proved right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He can prove Wizards front-office officials Michael Winger and Will Dawkins right by creating open shots for early-career players such as Dybantsa, George, Johnson and Alex Sarr as well as for veteran big man Anthony Davis. Young can also pitch in by using his point guard skills to organize the offense, especially late in close games.<\/p>\n<p>Winger, the president of Monumental Basketball, and Dawkins, the Wizards\u2019 general manager, believe Young will command enough attention from opposing defenses to make life easier for Wizards players who are still growing.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"7K5BITb91D6PBCY\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">Watch This: AJ Dybantsa with the strong Summer League slam in his debut<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/7K5BITb91D6PBCY\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/7K5BITb91D6PBCY\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Watch This: AJ Dybantsa with the strong Summer League slam in his debut&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-07-10T02:29:59.651Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT28S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/7K5BITb91D6PBCY\/6JCx8Tqfquzv.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/7K5BITb91D6PBCY\/6JCx8Tqfquzv\/6JCx8Tqfquzv.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;transcript&#8221;:&#8221;Livingston. Taboo, 3 on the timer, takes it. Number 1 pick AJ Devana. My goodness. He leaves Cody Williams in the rearview again meeting defenders at the cup. They don&#8217;t look like they want any part of him.&#8221;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic Staff&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"metadata\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On Friday, Dawkins cited statistics from the five games Young played for Washington last season, asserting he not only can be less ball-dominant than he was during his tenure with the Atlanta Hawks but also can be more effective. In that admittedly small sample size of just under 21 minutes per game, Young posted the lowest usage rate of his career while he compiled the highest assist percentage of his career, according to advanced analytics database Cleaning the Glass.<\/p>\n<p>The Wizards\u2019 professed vision for Young in the season ahead includes him playing off the ball and allowing youngsters such as Dybantsa and George to handle the basketball. But when Washington finds itself in close games, it can count on Young to bring the ball upcourt, make certain everyone is in their correct place and orchestrate quality shots.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Young\u2019s first-year salary in his new contract will be approximately $49.5 million; at 30 percent of the league\u2019s salary cap figure for the 2026-27 season, it is the maximum first-year salary he can receive under league rules.<\/p>\n<p>Because the Wizards held Young\u2019s Bird rights, the Wizards were the only team that could have paid him up to an 8 percent annual raise (an increase of approximately $4.0 million year over year), which would have ballooned his total salary over four seasons to $221.7 million.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the contract calls for Young to receive 5 percent annual raises (an increase of approximately $2.74 million year over year), which would have been a maximum-salary contract for any other team that signed Young in free agency.<\/p>\n<p>Wizards decision-makers became convinced that, with the NBA\u2019s new anti-tanking measures compelling more teams to compete, Young would have commanded maximum-salary contract offers from other franchises through either a straight free-agent signing or a sign-and-trade proposal.<\/p>\n<p id=\"article-pickem\">\n<p>Dawkins disputes the notion that Young\u2019s contract will prevent the Wizards from building their roster in coming years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we continue to keep our optionality and flexibility,\u201d Dawkins told <em>The Athletic<\/em>. \u201cIt actually helps us so that we\u2019re bringing someone in that\u2019s going to allow us to raise the level of the group sooner, and we can make more answers on all of our players.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7437583\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7437583 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/07\/10182950\/USATSI_28443196-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Trae Young, left, with a white sleeve on his left arm, slaps hands with Tre Johnson, who is wearing a white headband.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">The Wizards are counting on Trae Young, left, to be a veteran leader for youngsters such as Tre Johnson, right. (Matthew Hinton \/ Imagn Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Aside from the 2026-27 salaries for Davis and Young, however, the rest of the roster is relatively inexpensive for now, with Sarr due to earn the third-largest salary, at $12.3 million. The earliest Washington could approach the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7022525\/2026\/02\/04\/nba-tax-apron-glossary-cba\/\">punitive first apron<\/a> would be the 2028-29 season, when any potential rookie-scale contract extensions for Sarr and George would go into effect.<\/p>\n<p>Young will turn 28 in September, and team officials believe he will remain in his prime through the end of the contract, which includes a $58.4 million player option for the 2029-30 season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid3\" data-position=\"mid3\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not old, I\u2019m not young,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m in the middle. So I\u2019m really able to relate with these young guys, but I also have experience. I\u2019ve also (experienced) things that they haven\u2019t been through and that they want to (experience).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Wizards\u2019 entire roster, all of the coaches, all of the traveling staff members and many members of the front office attended Young\u2019s news conference Friday at the team hotel. Young said everyone\u2019s presence made the day more meaningful.<\/p>\n<p>For the stretch that bridges the final days of July and first days of August, Young expects to host Wizards players in Southern California for on-court workouts and off-court bonding. It\u2019s the kind of thing a team\u2019s veteran leaders sometimes do, and now that responsibility falls largely on Davis and Young.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s who he is,\u201d Dawkins said of Young. \u201cHe pours into the people around him. He\u2019s always been that way, and we look forward to him and A.D. hosting everybody in L.A. and letting them have their guy time. But I think the guys will be back (in Washington) early in September, because they really want to be ready for the start of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; 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img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7389110\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7389110\/2026\/06\/24\/aj-dybantsa-washington-wizards-pick\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7389110\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/06\/24000513\/USATSI_29255777-scaled-e1782274709539-1024x683.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"How AJ Dybantsa plans to work with Trae Young, Anthony Davis to build \u2018something great\u2019\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  How AJ Dybantsa plans to work with Trae Young, Anthony Davis to build \u2018something great\u2019\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  \u201cI\u2019ve been dreaming about this since I was about 12 years old,&#8221; Dybantsa said.\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>If Young fulfills the Wizards\u2019 expectations, the criticisms of his new contract will begin to fade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m super confident in my team,\u201d Young said. \u201cIf we win, the way people will look at me and my contract, the whole narrative will change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2026 But for me, I can\u2019t ever get caught up in what people are thinking in the now. The reason why I got what I got is because people know what I can do. That\u2019s what it is. So, for me, I don\u2019t really care what people think. I\u2019m going to go out there and make sure I\u2019m ready and have my best season yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LAS VEGAS \u2014 Trae Young knows the narrative that surrounds him now that he has signed a four-year, $213 million contract to remain with the Washington Wizards. That he\u2019s lost a step. That he\u2019s so ball-dominant that he will take needed developmental reps away from Wizards prospects such as AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George and Tre [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2037918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2037918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037918\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2037918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2037918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2037918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}