Normally, when a team as downtrodden as the Washington Wizards acquires a four-time All-Star in his prime, the worry is that the star has come to coast on past performance, get paid, and, overall, be unmotivated to change the team's culture.
However, from the moment the Wizards traded for Trae Young, he has shown himself to be nothing like that, with his appearance on the popular podcast "The Pivot" on Tuesday just being the latest example.
Trae Young:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 9, 2026
“This is the most slept on I’ve been in my whole life… Imagine the Wizards as the No. 1 team in the East next year. What people gonna be saying?”
(via @thepivot, h/t @GregFinberg) pic.twitter.com/x81W4Hsvzd
This from the former Atlanta Hawks star signals to me the furthest thing from someone who is coming to D.C. to rest on his laurels.
Trae sounds like he wants to get even better
I think if you told most of the Wizards faithful that you would be getting the 25 points per game scorer and playmaker capable of 10 assists per game guy that Young has been since coming into the league 8 years ago, they would take it and run.
What I heard from his comments was someone who feels dismissed, disrespected, and determined to get even better than what we as fans have grown accustomed to from the All-NBA guard.
That kind of talk is music to the ears of fans of the Wizards who have been deprived of talent the likes of Trae Young actually wanting to be here and wanting to get better.
Young's optimism for the Wizards is refreshing
The All-Star guard didn't just offer encouragement for the fanbase, but also to his new teammates:
“My teammates are tired of losing, and I wanna be there with them when we’re winning,”
It feels clear that he is all in on the Wizards and the growth of the team. There’s no convincing that needs to be done for him to remain on board; instead, he’s happy to be a Wizard.
A part in the soundbite of the podcast that may sound a bit premature is when the former assist champion brought up the possibility of the Wizards (yes, the Wizards) being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference next season.
While this team may be a ways off from that, it is a breath of fresh air to have someone on the team, with the talent and leadership qualities that Young possesses, thinking of those outcomes that will inevitably rub off on the young guys on the team.
The first step to turning around the Wizards is having guys bought in, and believing in themselves and each other, and Trae has shown already in his short time with the team that he checks both boxes.
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