“F All of Them!” Jason Williams Offers Support to Trae Young Amidst Brutal Criticism

Trae Young‘s era with the Atlanta Hawks has come to an end. Young has been traded to the Washington Wizards in the midst of his eighth season with the club in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The Hawks registered a convincing 117-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at the State Farm Arena on Wednesday night. The win propelled them to ninth in the Eastern Conference standings with an 18-21 record.

The Hawks did not offer Trae Young a supermax contract in the offseason, which definitely played a role in Young’s subpar performances this season. The guard was averaging just 19.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists. It is his lowest points-per-game since his rookie year.

Young was selected as the fifth overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in 2018 but was traded to the Hawks in exchange for Luka Doncic. Since then, the 27-year-old has earned four All-Star selections and carried the Hawks to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.

It is a fall from grace for the 27-year-old whose departure would have been unimaginable four years ago. In the end, it is an unfortunate ending for Young in Atlanta, who has featured in just ten games this season and was also involved in a scuffle against the Chicago Bulls a couple of weeks ago.

During Young’s absence this season, Jalen Johnson has emerged as a top talent for the Hawks and is on course for his maiden All-Star appearance. The Hawks will be looking to rebuild around Johnson who will most likely be the new face of the franchise. The young star has impressed several pundits and has even earned praises from LeBron James.

Young has often been criticized for being a huge liability in defense. His lack of size, athleticism and speed is seen as a huge flaw in his game and is one of the main reasons why championship contenders did not approach the Hawks for his services.

Former NBA player Jason Williams, who won the NBA Championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, spoke in support of Young on the Hoopin’ N Hollerin’ podcast.

He is trying he just don’t stand there. They said the same thing about me I didn’t play defense. I was trying my a** off if it didn’t look like I was trying I was. F*ck all them that don’t think I played defense and f*ck who don’t think Trae play defense.

Jason Willam’s says you’re not paying Trae Young $200M for defense

“He is trying he just don’t stand there. They said the same thing about me I didn’t play defense. I was trying my a** off if it didn’t look like I was trying I was. F*ck all them that don’t think I played… pic.twitter.com/UTO7rJA2EZ

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 8, 2026

The Wizards was Young’s choice so he got what he wanted. By no means are the Wizards any closer to contending for the championship, but it will be good to see Young back on court again with a smile on his face.

CJ McCollum loved his time in DC

CJ McCollum was traded by the Portland Trail Blazers as the tenth overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. While the 34-year-old has never been an All-Star in his 12-year NBA career, he is still a very good offensive option and has even made a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2019 with the Trail Blazers.

The guard will provide some much-needed experience to a young Hawks roster. McCollum spoke to NBA Insider Chris Haynes and spoke about his time with the Wizards, and is looking forward to his new club.

Loved my time in DC. Organization was great to my family and I. Michael Winger and Will [Dawkins] did everything they said they would and kept their word from the very beginning. Love the city and they’re doing things the right way over there. Excited to get to The A and get to work. Very familiar with their style of play. Love the ownership group and front office. Good group of players.

CJ McCollum to me on trade to Atlanta: “Loved my time in DC. Organization was great to my family and I. Michael Winger and Will [Dawkins] did everything they said they would and kept their word from the very beginning. Love the city and they’re doing things the right way over…

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 8, 2026

McCollum was averaging 18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 35 appearances for the Wizards, who sat 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. He will have a significant role to play for the Hawks as they look to make it to the playoffs after missing them in the last two seasons.

Good deal for the Hawks and the Wizards

Whenever a star player is involved in a trade, it is usually believed that one team comes out short in the deal. But it looks like both clubs will be satisfied in this case. During Young’s absence, the Hawks were flourishing, which may have played a role in the Hawks’ decision to move on from their franchise player.

The Hawks were just 2-8 with him on the floor this season and 16-13 without him. The Young-less Hawks have defended better than they ever did with the small and defensively indifferent Young on the court. Since their Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021, the Hawks have made it to four consecutive play-in tournaments and have missed the playoffs in the last two years.

Since starting the season 1-15, Washington has gone 9-10, including five wins in the past seven games. While they are still 6.5 games behind the play-in spots, Young should improve their chances of winning as the season progresses and with 46 games still to play.

The Wizards have been one of the NBA’s most patient teams, accumulating young talent without a clear path toward competing for a playoff spot since 2023. Trading for Young is an unexpected move on their part. More than anything else, this is probably a value play for the Wizards.

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