The Washington Wizards have traded for Trae Young, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday night. This move signifies a crucial turning point in the Wizards’ seemingly endless rebuild that has been going on since the John Wall and Bradley Beal era.

Young, the former Atlanta Hawks point guard and four-time All-Star, is a gifted offensive player and one of the very best scorers, passers and pick-and-roll operators in the NBA. But, he is deeply flawed and his very real defensive limitations can cap a team’s ceiling. There is a reason why the Hawks were willing to move on from him so that they can focus on playing a more versatile and fluid style based around rising star Jalen Johnson.

Trading for Young is risky. In one of the most talented draft classes in recent memory, the Wizards’ first round pick has a top-eight protection. Despite his ball-dominance and limitations on the defensive end, Young is still a good enough player to impact winning in a way that could put the Wizards in danger of losing out on their pick.

The Wizards’ first round pick this season was initially a part of the trade that sent John Wall to the Houston Rockets for Russell Westbrook in 2020. The Wizards included a lottery protected 2023 first rounder, and because that did not initially convey, it had a succession of protections for future first round picks. Through a series of moves, that pick ended up being owned by the New York Knicks and currently has the top-eight protection. If the Wizards’ pick falls between one and eight, the Wizards will keep it and the Knicks will get two second round picks instead. If it falls nine or lower, then the Knicks will get this year’s Wizards first rounder.

Even before acquiring Young, the Wizards had found themselves winning games. After beginning the season with a 3-20 record, the Wizards have won seven of their last 13 games and are now 10-26, fourth-worst in the NBA.

But, the teams at the bottom of the NBA standings are very close. Just three-and-a-half games separate the Wizards from the Dallas Mavericks, who have a 14-23 record, ninth-worst in the NBA. Dropping down to nine would guarantee the Knicks get the Wizards pick. If the Wizards fall anywhere between five and eight in the standings, then they would still be at risk of losing their pick if teams below them win the lottery and jump into the top four.

Before trading for Young, the chances of that actually happening were slim. Now, not so much. Let’s say the current standings hold. It is easy to see Young adding four wins to the Wizards. Last season with the Hawks, Young had 5.7 win shares. His career high for win shares is 10.0, which he had during the 2021-22 season.

The three best players who are expected to be available in the 2026 NBA Draft, BYU freshman wing AJ Dybantsa, Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer and Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson are all considered to be generational prospects. Each of them would fit perfectly with the young Wizards core.

Dybantsa could form a Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown-style scoring wind duo with Kyshawn George. His elite athleticism, shotmaking and ability to contribute to winning for a BYU team that is a legitimate national title contender are reminiscent of Carmelo Anthony and Michael Beasley’s historic freshman seasons.

Boozer is a highly-skilled scoring and rebounding big that would slot in at the four next to Alex Sarr and allow him to focus more on the defensive side of the ball. While there are questions about his athleticism, his touch around the rim, post moves and three-level scoring look like they will translate seamlessly to the NBA.

Peterson has dealt with various lower body injuries this season that have limited his time on the court, but his talent is undeniable and he may end up being the best of the superstar prospect trio. He has even elicited comparisons to Kobe Bryant, and has the size and skillset to play either guard position.

There is still a gluttony of talent after Dybantsa, Boozer and Peterson. North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson is an elite athlete who would form a dynamic defensive pairing with Sarr. Houston freshman point guard Kingston Flemings has shot up draft boards and has a near-flawless game, but would likely be redundant alongside Young. Going farther down, Arizona freshman forward Koa Peat, Kentucky sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance, Louisville freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. and Michigan senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg are all very high level prospects. These players likely all would have gone No. 1 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft that saw the Hawks take French forward Zaccharie Risacher (and the Wizards take Sarr at No. 2).

Another wrinkle to this is Young’s injury status. He sprained his MCL earlier this year and has only played in 10 games as he continued to work his way back to 100%. He missed the last six games, although it is unclear if that is due to injury or if he was being held out in order to help facilitate a trade. Shams included an interesting wrinkle in his report on the trade, writing that “both sides will evaluate his health once he arrives in Washington.” That could be agent-speak that both sides are going to take an extremely conservative approach to Young’s rehab, meaning that it may be a while before he even steps on the court with the Wizards.

A similar situation to this could be like what happened last season when the Toronto Raptors traded for Brandon Ingram, signed him to an extension and he did not end up playing a single game after the trade while he was recovering from a sprained ankle.

If that is the case and Young sits, then all of this worry is for nothing and the tank is back on, especially with the Wizards being without C.J. McCollum, who was playing very well for the Wizards went to the Hawks in the trade along with Corey Kispert. But, if Young is healthy and suiting up for the Wizards, then they are in serious danger of playing themselves out of their own pick in a loaded first round, potentially dealing a devastating blow to the rebuild.