Trae Young‘s Wizards debut won’t happen anytime soon, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports that the point guard won’t be reevaluated until after the All-Star break as he recovers from right MCL and quad injuries. Based on that timeline, Young will miss at least the next 15 games.
Young sprained his right MCL in late October and missed 22 consecutive games before returning in mid-December. After playing in five of Atlanta’s next six contests, he sustained a right quad contusion that kept him out of action for his final six games as a Hawk.
When the Wizards acquired Young last week, multiple reports indicated that he’d likely see limited playing time during the second half of the season, with Washington focused on hanging onto its top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick and prioritizing the newcomer’s impact in 2026/27 (and potentially beyond).
Still, the NBA figures to keep an eye on the situation, since Young technically already returned from his MCL sprain, and a contusion typically isn’t the type of injury that requires a long-term absence.
While it makes sense that a lottery-bound team (like Washington) would take a more cautious approach with a banged-up player than a team battling for a playoff spot (ie. Atlanta), Young qualifies as a star player based on the NBA’s player participation policy, which prohibits teams from shutting down a healthy “star” for an extended period. So if the league suspects the Wizards are bending those rules, it could instigate an investigation. For now, there has been no indication that will happen.