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Trae Young has not played for the Washington Wizards since he got traded by the Atlanta Hawks.
The Washington Wizards are expecting to have Trae Young debut on the court this week after they acquired him back in January. Young was recovering from knee and quadriceps injuries from his time on the Atlanta Hawks to complicate his return time.
Washington traded CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta to receive the multi-time All-Star point guard in return. Many pundits expected Young to miss the rest of the season or play a handful of games in the final weeks at most.
However, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that Young is expected back on Thursday against the Utah Jazz:
“Washington Wizards star Trae Young will make his team debut on Thursday against the Utah Jazz at home.”
Young will get the chance to play in front of his new home crowd and try to provide some optimism for the future. The Wizards have operated with the desire to improve the roster and set themselves up for a chance at playoff contention next season. Many teams in their position would outright tank for the rest of this season, but they will be giving fans a chance to see the new face of the franchise starting this week.
Does This Speed Up Anthony Davis’ Return?
The other major trade made by Washington ahead of the deadline saw them acquiring Anthony Davis to pair with Young. A clear game plan is there for Young and Davis to lead the team, with the hope of the young prospects becoming stars by playing with better talents to speed up their progression.
Davis is also still waiting to make his Wizards debut and is awaiting his next update. Washington revealed that Davis would be re-evaluated in two weeks, and that date is just a few days away. A finger and hand related injury sees Davis hoping for a positive update at the next evaluation.
However, his debut date may be less optimistic than Young since the season is winding down. Young was one step away from getting cleared and apparently passed that final step this week. Davis will need to show progress and be able to play without a major risk, especially since the Wizards have nothing to play for in the standings race.
What To Expect From Trae Young
Washington holding no real motivation to win games as an organization will likely see Young playing managed minutes. Most superstars have a minutes’ restriction when they return to action after missing multiple months with a serious injury.
Young will play with a target minutes total in mind that he won’t pass. The Wizards have enjoyed giving more playing time to their younger talents, like Will Riley and Bub Carrington, trying to figure out which will be a bigger part of the upcoming plans to contend next season.
Don’t expect Young to play anything more than 30 minutes since the team will prioritize his health. 20-25 minutes remain the most realistic case of the point guard getting enough time to feel comfortable in games again. Young’s return is about the future more than anything he does on the court this season.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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