CJ McCollum will miss his first game of the season for the Washington Wizards on Wednesday with what the team is calling right quad soreness. Maybe there is nothing more to it than that, but the timing is interesting, considering on Monday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported the team was having conversations with the Hawks about a Trae Young trade.
Shortly after Washington said that McCollum would sit, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Young's top trade destination is the Wizards.
Just in on NBA Today -- Atlanta Hawks four-time All-Star Trae Young has the Washington Wizards as his top desired destination: pic.twitter.com/lpMEftC4vv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 7, 2026
Young, for what it's worth, will also miss Atlanta's game against New Orleans on Wednesday, his sixth-straight missed contest with a quad contusion. He might've already played in his final game for the Hawks, too.
Jake Fischer reported on Wednesday that Atlanta would wait to see if any suitors outside of Washington emerged, but that was before Charania's report. That could still be the stance that the Hawks are taking, but they could be more motivated now to trade him sooner rather than later.
CJ McCollum will miss his first game of the season for the Wizards
Stein specifically reported on Monday that the Wizards and Hawks discussed a trade centered around McCollum and his $30.6 million contract. When he arrived in D.C. over the summer from the Pelicans, the expectation was that a trade would happen, but it's safe to say that no one thought it would be in a deal for Young.
To think that outsiders didn't expect there to be much noise surrounding the rebuilding Wizards this season, much less that they'd trade for a star like Young. Just like that, Washington is at the center of what could go down as the biggest pre-deadline trade.
You truly never know what to expect in the NBA. Speaking of, although the deadline is still a few weeks away, it wouldn't be surprising if a trade happened in the coming days. After tonight, Washington's next game will be on Friday at home against New Orleans. Will CJ also miss that game, assuming he's still on the team?
McCollum knew that his time with the Wizards would be brief, so he might already have his bag packed, knowing Feb. 5 will be here soon. Monday's report from Stein should've prompted him to go ahead and prepare not only for a trade, but to go to Atlanta, unless he's rerouted elsewhere.
Watching CJ this season has been fun and his leadership is appreciated, but it's safe to say that fans are excited about the chance to watch Trae Young star for their favorite team.