Trae Young embraces new role as Washington Wizards reshape attack

Trae Young is stepping into a fresh, less ball-dominant role with the Washington Wizards as the franchise reshapes its offense around a core of young scorers.

What’s changing for Trae Young?

The 2023-24 season saw Trae Young average 25.2 points per game, his lowest scoring output since his rookie year. But the shift isn’t just about fewer buckets. The Wizards are leaning on Young to set the table more often, feeding teammates like Kyle Kuzma and Tyrese Maxey in pick-and-roll sequences that mirror the league’s trend toward positionless play. “We’re asking him to be the hub of the offense,” said Wes Unseld Jr., the Wizards’ head coach, after a recent practice. “He’s got to make the extra pass, trust the process.”

Young’s usage rate has dipped from 33.1% last season to 29.8% so far this campaign, per NBA Advanced Stats. The drop reflects a deliberate design: Washington wants to maximize the weapons around him rather than rely on Young to generate every shot. The result? More assists-he’s averaging 8.7 per game, up from 7.4 in 2023-24-and fewer isolation-heavy possessions.

Why the Wizards are pushing this change

The math is simple. The Wizards ranked 22nd in offensive efficiency last season, and their three-point shooting percentage (35.2%) sat in the bottom half of the league. Young’s playmaking can unlock shooters like Landry Shamet and Deni Avdija, who thrive off catch-and-shoot looks. “If Trae’s moving the ball, we’re dangerous,” said Kuzma, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer. “He’s the best passer in the game right now.”

The roster overhaul-adding Maxey, drafting Bilal Coulibaly, and retaining Avdija-gives Washington firepower it lacked in years past. Young’s ability to elevate those players matters more than his own scoring totals. The league’s top teams thrive when stars share the load, and the Wizards are betting Young can be the conductor.

How opponents are adjusting

Defenses are no longer sagging off Young the way they did when he was a high-volume scorer. Now, they’re forced to respect his passing lanes. “Teams are cheating toward the paint because they know he’ll find the open man,” said a Western Conference scout who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It’s a different kind of threat.”

Young’s shooting splits tell part of the story. He’s taking 3.2 fewer mid-range shots per game this season while launching 4.1 more threes. The league’s analytics departments have long argued that Young’s mid-range game is inefficient; Washington is pushing him to play smarter, not harder. The trade-off? Fewer highlight drives to the rim and more kick-outs to spot-up shooters.

What comes next for Trae Young

The early returns are mixed. Young’s assist-to-turnover ratio has improved to 3.1, up from 2.8 last season, but his scoring efficiency has slipped slightly-his true shooting percentage sits at 57.3%, down from 59.1% in 2023-24. The Wizards, though, are prioritizing chemistry over box-score stats. “We’re not worried about the numbers right now,” Unseld Jr. said. “We’re worried about the process.”

For Young, the challenge is twofold: proving he can thrive in a lesser role while keeping his All-NBA candidacy alive. The league’s best guards-like Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić-have thrived by blending scoring and playmaking. Young’s path mirrors theirs, but with a roster still finding its footing. If Washington’s young core clicks, his new role could define his next chapter.

The season’s first 20 games offer a snapshot. Young’s averages-22.4 points, 8.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds-suggest a player in transition. The question isn’t whether he can adapt, but whether the Wizards can build around him before the window narrows.