The Washington Wizards decision to take the blockbuster swing on four-time Trae Young was calculated.
The opportunity to address a major roster hole at an extremely discounted price was a no-brainer, but the team's decision was tied to the fact the team had early motivation to work towards signing the playmaker to a long-term deal.
In fact, Young's desire to find a team willing. to discuss a long-term fit was one of the biggest factors in him opting to list the Wizards as his preferred landing spot when his time with the Atlanta Hawks approached the end.
As contract conversations open up this offseason, it's clear that the number alongside Young's potential deal will shed some light on how the team views his fit along the team's future plans.
And according to NBA mind Sam Vecenie from The Athletic, there may be one clear way to dictate the guard's future value for the Wizards.
Trae Young's value comes down to his shooting
On a recent episode of The Game Theory Podcast, Vecenie broke down his thoughts about Young's fit with the Wizards long-term, citing one main key that could dictate his value for the team moving forward.
"So for me with Trae Young, we saw all the creative passing," Vecenie said. "We saw all of the quick decision making.For me with Trae right now at this point of his career, it comes to what level is he now as a shooter?"
" I feel like Trae's game as a passer and playmaker demonstrably changes if teams feel like we don't have to chase him all the way up over a screen that comes from 35 feet from the rim."
Vecenie mentioning Young's shooting being a major factor in his future value doesn't come as a surprise, and in many ways, he's right.
Young's shooting impacts his playmaking in a major way.
At the same time, the Oklahoma product's most recent shooting performance should put any worries to rest.
Young can still shoot efficiently
The comments from Vecenie came after Young's debut against the Jazz, where he struggled shooting from beyond the arc, finishing just 1-for-5 from three.
Any concerns with Young's shooting from downtown were quickly put to rest with his most recent performance against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he finished with 17 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 shooting from deep.
It's clear that the Wizards' biggest reason for acquiring Young was to bring in the elite playmaking he has to offer, and as of now, there's no signs for concern that any of that value he brings could be decreasing.