Although rife with storylines, the Trae Young trade also represents the first in-season trade of the cycle. This trade is on the less complicated side, but still worth monitoring for the ripple effects for both teams.
Atlanta Hawks
Trade Salaries:
Outgoing Salary: $45,999,660
Incoming Salary: $44,641,666
Exception Used: Standard Traded Player Exception6
Additional Hard Caps Imposed: None
Preexisting Hard Caps: 1st Apron (Alexander-Walker S&T)
Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Outgoing Salaries
Trae Young - $45,999,660
Incoming Salaries
CJ McCollum - $30,666,666
Corey Kispert - $13,975,000
Washington Wizards
Trade Salaries:
Alexander Jonesi, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Outgoing Salaries
CJ McCollum - $30,666,666
Corey Kispert - $13,975,000
Incoming Salaries
Trae Young - $45,999,660
Plus $394,440 trade bonus.2
Side Notes
Players in this trade cannot be aggregated together in a trade again until 3/9 (essentially for the rest of the year).1
Players cannot be reacquired by their previous teams until 1 year from the date of the trade (1/9/27).4
Young’s trade bonus is included in Washington's incoming salary, but not Atlanta's outgoing salary.
What This Means
Atlanta moves on from Trae Young, not long ago their franchise centerpiece.
Washington now has a test period with Trae and can choose to flip in the summer or extend his contract (assuming he opts into his option).
NO DRAFT PICKS involved which is a bit surprising.
Washington cuts into their cap space this summer which is still substantial. Atlanta opens up additional flexibility this summer depending on if they choose to resign Porzingis or McCollum.
Don’t rule out Atlanta to go shopping early via trade rather than waiting until the offseason to see who’s available.
1 Art. VII Sec. 6(j)(4)(i)
2 Art. II Sec. 7(f)(ii)
3 Art. VII Sec. 2(e)(4)(E)
4 Art. VII Sec. 8(h)
5 Art. VII Sec. 6(j)(iv)
6 Art. VII Sec. 6(j)(i)