All-Star guard Trae Young addressed his departure from the Hawks on social media Friday, lamenting never getting to "see our full potential" in Atlanta and adding that he is "ecstatic" for the next chapter.
Young spent seven-plus seasons with the Hawks but pushed for a trade to the Washington Wizards through talks between his agents and Atlanta general manager Onsi Saleh.
"The last few years weren't how I wanted them to be," Young wrote. "Expectations that we created for ourselves, reaching heights that Atlanta has never reached before.
"Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal. However, between the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn't make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential."
Young's move to the Wizards has not been announced, but sources told ESPN's Shams Charania this week that Young is heading to Washington for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
Young, who has $95 million remaining on his deal, including a player option for 2026-27, wrote that he was willing to take a chance outside Atlanta.
"The pain of staying the same eventually outweighed the uncertainty of change. Change is often met with fear, but I see it as another opportunity," he wrote.
He leaves Atlanta as the franchise's all-time leader in 3-pointers (1,295) and assists (4,837). He led the Hawks to the postseason three times, including a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021.
Young, who dealt with a right MCL sprain early in the season and has managed residual pain from the injury, has been sidelined recently because of a right quad contusion. The Wizards are not expected to have immediate extension talks with Young, and both sides will evaluate his health once he arrives in Washington, sources told Charania.
"I'm walking into this next chapter ecstatic, with my head high and my eyes forward," Young concluded in his post. "It's time to see what's possible when the support is real and vision is clear. We move."
