Trae Young says his goal in Washington is to revive the Wizards

Jan 57: Trae Young reveals what his first goal is when he finally gets to play for the Wizards

There was a time when the Washington Wizards were a team opponents dreaded playing against. Led by Gilbert Arenas, Larry Hughes and Antawn Jamison in the 2000s, the Wizards were an exciting and high-scoring team that could go toe-to-toe with any team in the NBA.

The Wizards in the 2010s were the same way, as John Wall and Bradley Beal brought tremendous firepower while the likes of Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris provided valuable support and toughness.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, the Wizards have fallen from grace, struggling to find their footing in the competitive NBA landscape. In fact, since 2019, they have reached the postseason only once and were immediately dispatched in the first round. However, all of that may change with the addition of one super-talented player: Trae Young.

The Wizards recently acquired the four-time All-Star in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, and he shared his first goal: to revive the team’s former glory when he finally gets to play for them.

Make it a tough place to play

Young still vividly recalls the excitement that former All-Star John Wall brought to the team, leading them to multiple playoff appearances. With the Wizards’ home arena packed and fans cheering, it was a tough place for any opponent to come into. Young wants to bring that same energy and atmosphere back.

“That’s the plan. I want to bring it back to the way it was. I remember [Wall] getting announced in the starting lineups and him doing his dance. All those people in the crowd and it being sold out,” Trae said in a conversation with Andscape’s Marc Spears. “The first thing I thought of when I walked into the arena was we got to get this place sold out and make it a tough place to play.”

Last season saw the Wizards languish near the bottom of the rankings in home attendance, averaging 16,187 fans per game — something former Wizards guard Jordan Poole complained about during his time in Washington.

“The last three years [in Washington]… dead in there. It was dead in Capital One,” the current New Orleans Pelicans guard recalled.

Help the young players realize their potential

Trae entered the NBA as a 20-year-old and was immediately tasked with playing the most difficult position to play in the league: point guard. So, he absolutely knows how nerve-wracking it can be for young players to navigate the complex world of professional basketball.

Now 27 and with lots of experience, he hopes to help the Wizards’ plethora of young players develop and reach their full potential.

“I’m 27 years old now. I’m a vet, and I know a lot. I know how to bring these young guys along maybe a little bit faster than what they have even been expected to in their games,” Young said.

“I want to surprise people. I don’t even want to talk too much about it. I want people to be surprised when they see how much I bring out of these younger guys and the potential that they have. I’m just trying to speed up that potential as much as I can each day,” he continued.

The Wizards have incredibly talented players such as Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly, all of whom are 22 years old or younger. With the defensive attention Trae commands on the court, it’s only a matter of time before these young players become more efficient and major contributors to the Wizards’ success.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Trae Young says his goal in Washington is to revive the Wizards

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