Jun 17, 2026, 10:18 PM ET

Washington Wizards standout Trae Young is poised to bypass his $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season, entering free agency on Monday, sources informed Andscape's Marc Spears on Wednesday.

The Wizards continue to lead the chase for the four-time All-Star, yet several other clubs are anticipated to pursue him, sources added.

Young began the prior campaign intent on demonstrating his value for a four-year, $229 million maximum extension while serving as the leader the Atlanta Hawks required to challenge in the East. However, he sustained a sprained right MCL during the fifth contest in late October and remained sidelined until mid-December.

During Young's absence, the Hawks identified sufficient promise in emerging talent Jalen Johnson and supporting players to trade Young to the Wizards in early January in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Young appeared in just five contests with the rebuilding Wizards, posting averages of 17.9 points and 8.0 assists across 15 total games split between the Hawks and Wizards.

The Wizards acquired Young, who has posted 9.8 assists per game across his eight-year career, to orchestrate their youthful roster. They further secured veteran big man Anthony Davis last season and view Young alongside Davis as an All-Star pairing capable of guiding the franchise toward playoff contention next season.

The organization also expresses confidence that the veteran duo can elevate a young group featuring Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Bub Carrington and the top selection in next week's draft, advancing the club after it endured 64 or more losses in each of the prior three campaigns.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.