Many NBA fans were shocked at just how much the Washington Wizards paid Trae Young to keep him on the roster, but it turns out this deal may have been agreed upon months ago. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst revealed that he heard about the Wizards promising to pay Young a max contract during the season. The agreement was that Young would sit out most of the season with injury to help Washington tank for the top overall pick.
Windhorst shared the following quote on the Pardon My Take podcast:
“Here’s the thing. They already promised Trae Young they were going to sign him when they traded for him. And the reason that they did that was because they needed him to not play. If he had played, they might have won a bunch more games and they might not have got the #1 pick.
And if you’re a free agent, the last thing you’re going to do is basically say you’re injured for six months. So, they told him, we’re going to take care of you. Trae already knew he was going to get paid.”
The accusation here could get league officials involved if the story becomes bigger. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tried to stop tanking earlier in the season, but one team allegedly tanked so hard that they promised a new superstar big money to exaggerate his injury timetable.
Washington Wizards Showed Why Teams Tank
Washington trading for both Young and Anthony Davis at the trade deadline showed their big plan. The Wizards both wanted to tank last season and improve for the future by trading for injured All-Stars while their respective trade values were the lowest that they’ve ever been.
Both players spent most of the season on the bench and the front office wanted this. Washington tanking paid off since they got the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to land elite college basketball prospect AJ Dybantsa via the draft lottery.
The true worst teams in the league, like the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings, fell lower than they desired in exchange for a team with two All-Stars landing the top pick. Scenarios like this show why Commissioner Silver is trying to stop tanking in the NBA.
Trae Young Joins Kawhi Leonard With Contract Drama
NBA players and teams are not supposed to have under the table agreements nor do shady things to stack the odds. Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are still under investigation for their potential fraudulent endorsement deal giving him more money.
Young should probably be investigated too since this is a bold claim from one of the top NBA media personalities. Washington being that unethical with the tanking and forcing All-Stars to sit out to lose more games is a terrible look for the league.
Silver can’t do anything to truly punish them since the Wizards landed both Davis and Young, while getting their dream prospect that every losing team hoped to get. Next season’s tanking rules must improve this issue, or Silver will have even greater pressure on him moving forward.
Insider Accuses Wizards Of Shady Trae Young Contract Agreement