Reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania indicate that the Washington Wizards’ new acquisition, point guard Trae Young, is set to play his first game with the squad on Thursday, facing the Utah Jazz. Young has been sidelined since December 27th due to sustained knee and quadriceps ailments.
The Wizards secured Young through a January transaction with the Atlanta Hawks, exchanging CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return.
Health issues have largely prevented Young from participating in the 2025-26 campaign, limiting him to merely 10 appearances and resulting in his lowest statistical output since his inaugural professional season. His current averages stand at 19.3 points and 8.9 assists, coupled with a 30.5% success rate from three-point range.
With a 16-43 record, the Wizards occupy the 13th position in the Eastern Conference standings, making Young’s return primarily a strategic move for the upcoming season rather than the current one.
The timing of Young’s comeback in the latter part of the season provides the Wizards with an opportunity to assess his compatibility with emerging talents like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, and Bub Carrington. However, another significant player acquired via trade, Anthony Davis, will not yet be available for such an evaluation.
Davis, who arrived from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a package of players and future draft selections, has not yet stepped onto the court for the Wizards. His last game was on January 8th, and he has since been recovering from a hand ligament injury sustained while with Dallas. He remains unable to participate in team practices, and the Wizards publicly stated on February 19th that he was due for a reassessment.
In his 20 appearances for the Mavericks this season, Davis posted averages of 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. Despite Young and Davis collectively boasting 14 All-Star selections, both athletes have encountered recurring injury setbacks over the last few campaigns. The Wizards are optimistic that integrating these prominent new players will be sufficient to achieve their initial playoff berth since the 2020-21 season.
