Trae Young returns to Atlanta for first time since blockbuster trade to the Wizards
trae young returned to Atlanta on Tuesday night for the first time since being traded to the Washington Wizards, visiting State Farm Arena while still sidelined by injury. The visit matters because it marks a public break with his eight-year run in Atlanta even as questions about his availability for the remainder of the season remain unresolved.
Trae Young's return: Development details
The point guard, who was the face of the franchise after being drafted in 2018, made a short trip back to his longtime home city but did not play. Young has not appeared in a game in nearly two months while rehabbing a sprained right knee and a quadriceps contusion. He was dealt to the Washington Wizards in early January in the package that sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert the other way.
At State Farm Arena Young used the visiting locker room, a small detail that underscored the change in status after eight years with the Hawks. Over his tenure in Atlanta he earned four All-Star selections and helped lead the team to the Eastern Conference final in 2021. He also acknowledged the lingering effects of a season hampered by injuries, both his own and those of teammates.
Context and escalation
The Hawks' slide from playoff contender to a team moving on from its longtime star accelerated a decision to trade Young. Early-season optimism after the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis faded when Porzingis managed to play just 17 games in Atlanta before he was moved to the Golden State Warriors. Young said he hadn't been healthy this season and cited broader team health problems as factors in Atlanta's performance.
The Wizards, meanwhile, have reshaped their roster through multiple big transactions this season, including acquiring Young and landing Anthony Davis in another major deal. With Young injured and the Wizards balancing short-term results against longer-term decisions, the franchise has shown little urgency to rush his return to game action; that stance appears linked to roster construction and future planning, including draft positioning.
Immediate impact
Young's absence has immediate, measurable effects. The guard's recovery timeline has kept him off the court for nearly two months, limiting the Wizards' ability to integrate him into rotations and withholding his scoring and playmaking from Washington's lineup. Young said he is following a medical plan and deferred any firm timeline for a comeback to team doctors, declining to confirm whether he expects to play again this season.
For Hawks fans the visit was a farewell note as much as a homecoming. Young expressed appreciation for his time in Atlanta, saying he wanted fans to know how much he valued them. The Hawks organization publicly extended well-wishes, closing a chapter that began with his 2018 draft selection and included individual accolades and playoff runs.
Forward outlook
What makes this notable is the convergence of personal recovery and franchise strategy: Young's rehab status will influence on-court timelines, while the Wizards' broader roster moves shape the longer-term role he might fill. The immediate milestones are medical and procedural — continued adherence to the rehabilitation plan and evaluations by team physicians — rather than scheduled game returns.
Young said the plan is going well and emphasized that he is leaving return-to-play decisions to the doctors. With the season winding toward its conclusion and the Wizards focused on roster construction for next year, Young's next confirmed steps are medical clearance and incremental progress in rehabilitation rather than a firm game date. The team has shown no rush to reinstate him, reflecting an emphasis on health and strategic positioning.
In sum, Tuesday night's visit closed a visible loop on his Atlanta tenure while underscoring that the path back to action remains governed by recovery milestones and medical review.
