Trae Young is back where he’s most comfortable, right near the top of the NBA’s assist charts.
Through the first stretch of the 2026-27 season, Young leads the league in assists per game at 10.2 and total assists with 61, a familiar place for a guard whose passing has long been one of the defining traits of his game. After eight seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, he built his reputation as a full-time table-setter, thriving in pick-and-roll action and finding shooters all over the floor.
The move to the Washington Wizards last season changed the setting around him, and so far he’s handled it well. Even with his usage rate down to a career-low 24.7%, Young has kept the ball moving and the offense humming. The new environment has asked more of him in terms of sharing touches, and he’s answered by continuing to pile up assists.
That’s been especially notable with a group of younger creators around him. Kyshawn George, AJ Dybantsa, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington have all been part of the mix between Young and Washington’s leading scorer, Anthony Davis. Rather than forcing everything through himself, Young has been willing to let those players bring the ball up and initiate possessions on their own.
The early returns also show a player who is producing at a familiar level in one key area while adjusting in another. This is Young’s fourth season averaging a double-double with assists, and his first since the 2024-25 campaign, when he earned his fourth and final All-Star nod. That season also marked the highest assist average of his career, at 11.6 per game.
What’s keeping him from looking even more dangerous is the scoring side of the equation. Young is shooting 39% from the field and 26.2% from 3-point range, both career lows by a wide margin. Those numbers raise the question of whether he’s still able to create the same separation as a scorer and driver that he once did.
For now, though, the passing keeps coming. As defenders adjust to his changed scoring profile, Young will need to keep leaning into playmaking. If Washington’s collection of creating wings continues to grow into its role, and if the team keeps covering for his defensive shortcomings, Young looks set to stay among the league’s most productive passers game after game.
In Other News...
AJ Dybantsa Is Already Raising The Wizards Ceiling
AJ Dybantsa has wasted little time changing the conversation around the Wizards, and not just because of what he has done with the ball in his hands. The No. 1 overall pick has been a real factor in Washingtons recent wins, bringing a two-way presence that has already shown up in the details, from limiting key scorers to making timely defensive plays.
What makes it even more intriguing for Washington is how quickly the staff is starting to think bigger with him. Dybantsas versatility gives the Wizards a chance to experiment with lineups that look far more dangerous on both ends, especially alongside Anthony Davis, and the early returns suggest this is more than just a developmental detour. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Keefe Is Giving The Wizards Something They Desperately Needed
Brian Keefe has spent three seasons as Washingtons lead assistant, but early in the 2026-27 campaign hes starting to look like the steady hand the Wizards have been missing. With the team off to a 4-3 start, the most encouraging part has not been the record itself so much as the way the defense has tightened up and the rotations have looked more organized, even with the roster dealing with injuries and other lineup shuffling.
Keefes influence has shown up in how Washington is using its players and adjusting on the fly, a welcome change for a group that has spent too much time searching for structure. The larger question now is whether this early progress can hold once the schedule gets tougher and the lineup is whole again, because the Wizards have already shown enough to make their defensive improvement feel real, even if the full picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards May Have Found A Formula That Can Actually Hold Up
The Wizards win over Orlando offered a reminder that there may be something sturdier taking shape on the defensive end. Washington kept the Magic under 100 points for the second straight game, a level of consistency the franchise has not managed in a back-to-back stretch like this since early last season, and it came with notable offensive help from Anthony Davis and rookie AJ Dybantsa, who both cleared 20 points.
Deandre Ayton also made his starting debut and gave Washington a useful blend of rebounding and ball movement, the kind of low-drama contribution that can help a lineup settle in. For a team still searching for an identity, the bigger question is whether this version of the Wizards can keep stacking nights like this once the schedule and the matchups get less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]