Trae Young listing the Washington Wizards as his preferred trade destination when his time with the Atlanta Hawks came to an end came as a surprise to many.
Washington didn't seem close to a playoff return any time soon, and outside of the Wizards' massive void at the point guard position, it didn't seem like there was much incentive for the playmaker to request a trade to D.C. outside of a potential long-term extension.
Nonetheless, after a deal was finalized, reports revealed that a key reason for Young's preference to join the rebuilding Wizards was the presence of VP of Player Personnel Travis Schlenk, who served as the President of Basketball Operations in Atlanta when the team drafted Young in 2018.
Schlenk's role played a major key in the acquisition of Young ahead of the trade deadline, and it was set to be the key for an offseason extension this offseason, too.
However, the recent report from Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connell suggests that the Wizards could be preparing to lose Schlenk this offseason, and if that's the case, Young's future in the DMV could get interesting.
76ers interested in hiring Travis Schlenk as GM
The Philadelphia 76ers decision to fire Darryl Morey after their second-round exit in the playoffs came out of left field, and it created a vacant role in a front office that could prove appealing to several executives around the league.
Long-time NBA executive Bob Myers is running the search for the Sixers to fill the job, and one candidate that has been discussed for the role is Schlenk, who would arguably be a major boost for Philadelphia's front office.
In turn, though, it would lead the Wizards to lose a major piece of their front office and one of the biggest reasons that helped lead Young to the DMV.
Obviously, there's no way to determine if Schlenk's potential departure would really play a role in extension talks with the guard this offseason, but it's definitely not a move that would work in the team's favor either.
Losing Schlenk likely won't impact Young's extension
While the presence of Schlenk in D.C. played a role in his initial arrival, there's been enough time for Young to experience the city and find other internal reasons to buy into what general manager Will Dawkins is building.
With the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Anthony Davus on the roster and several intriguing young prospects filling out the depth chart, Young has plenty of reasons to still ink a long-term deal this offseason.
Still, losing Schlenk would be a bit of a hit for Washington if he is indeed hired to lead the Sixers' front office.
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