Trae Young Bio
Rayford Trae Young is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The point guard, nicknamed “Ice Trae,” has built a reputation as one of the league’s most dynamic offensive playmakers, recognized for his deep shooting range and elite passing vision. Across his career, he has earned four NBA All-Star selections and continues to be counted among the top facilitators in the modern game.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, and raised in Oklahoma, Young became a national sensation during his lone college season with the Oklahoma Sooners before being drafted fifth overall in 2018. After a transformative run with the Atlanta Hawks that included an Eastern Conference finals appearance in 2021, he was traded mid-game to the Washington Wizards in January 2026. He now begins a new chapter in the nation’s capital on a four-year deal.
Early Life and Background
Rayford Trae Young was born on September 19, 1998, in Lubbock, Texas, to Candice and Rayford Young. His father played basketball at Texas Tech and continued his career professionally in Europe, while an uncle also played college basketball at the NAIA level. Because his father was overseas for much of his childhood, Young was raised primarily in Pampa, Texas, by his mother and his paternal grandparents.
The family eventually settled in Norman, Oklahoma, where Young attended Norman North High School. As a sophomore, he averaged 25 points, five assists, and four rebounds per game, helping Norman North win the 2015 area championship and earning Oklahoma Sophomore of the Year honors. He continued to develop rapidly, posting 34.2 points per game as a junior while leading his team to a 28–4 record and a runner-up finish in the 2016 Oklahoma Class 6A state championship game.
In his senior year, Young elevated his production even further, averaging 42.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting nearly 49 percent from the field. He was selected as a McDonald’s All-American in 2017 and rated among the top point guard prospects in his class.
Path to Basketball
Regarded as one of the premier recruits in the 2017 class, Young was ranked the second-best point guard by ESPN and the third-best by Scout.com and Rivals.com. On February 16, 2017, he committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, becoming the program’s first five-star recruit since Tiny Gallon in 2010. His decision set the stage for one of the most decorated freshman seasons in college basketball history.
At Oklahoma, Young opened his career with 15 points and 10 assists against Omaha and quickly established himself as a national star. He erupted for 43 points in a win over Oregon, drawing stylistic comparisons to Stephen Curry, and tied the then-NCAA Division I single-game assists record with 22 against Northwestern State on December 19, 2017. He finished the 2017–18 season leading the country in points, points per game, total assists, assists per game, and assist percentage.
Young became the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both points and assists in the same season. He won the Wayman Tisdale Award as National Freshman of the Year, was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and earned consensus first-team All-American honors. Following the season, he declared for the 2018 NBA draft and was selected fifth overall by the Dallas Mavericks before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in the same draft for Luka Dončić.
Trae Young Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Trae Young officially signed with the Atlanta Hawks on July 1, 2018, and quickly became the centerpiece of the franchise’s rebuild. In just his third NBA game, he posted 35 points and 11 assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and by early 2019 he was producing triple-doubles on a regular basis. He finished his rookie season with 49 points and 16 assists in a quadruple-overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls, earning unanimous selection to the 2019 NBA All-Rookie First Team alongside Dončić.
In his second season, Young emerged as a true star, erupting for 50 points against the Miami Heat and 48 points against the New York Knicks. He was voted a starter for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game and cemented his status as one of the league’s premier offensive guards. The Hawks continued to build around his unique skill set as a passer and shooter.
Atlanta Hawks Breakthrough (2018–2026)
The 2020–21 season marked Young’s arrival as a postseason force. He made his NBA playoff debut with 32 points, 10 assists, and a game-winning floater against the New York Knicks, then led a 26-point comeback victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals. The Hawks advanced to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2015, with Young dropping a playoff career-high 48 points in the series opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In August 2021, Young agreed to a five-year, $172 million max extension with the Hawks. He responded in 2021–22 by posting a career-high 56 points against the Portland Trail Blazers and breaking Dominique Wilkins’ franchise record with 17 consecutive 25-point games. He also became just the second player in NBA history, alongside Tiny Archibald, to lead the league in total points and assists in a single season. That summer, the Hawks added Dejounte Murray to balance the roster.
Despite Murray’s arrival, Young continued to post historic numbers. He tied Oscar Robertson’s NBA record with seven straight 30-point, 10-assist games and surpassed Mookie Blaylock for the most three-pointers in Hawks franchise history. In 2024–25, he finished the regular season leading the NBA in assists per game at a career-high 11.6, setting a franchise record with 880 total assists. He also led the league in total assists for the first time in his career.
Washington Wizards Era (2026–Present)
On January 9, 2026, Young was traded mid-game to the Washington Wizards in a deal that sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta. He changed his jersey number from 11 to 3, taking a number previously retired in honor of Elvin Hayes, and made his Wizards debut on March 5 against the Utah Jazz, recording 12 points and six assists in 19 minutes. Across five starts with Washington, he averaged 15.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.
On June 22, 2026, Young signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Wizards after declining his player option, signaling a long-term commitment to the franchise. His arrival provides the Wizards with a proven All-Star playmaker to anchor their rebuild.
Driving Style and Strengths
Young is best known for his exceptional court vision, deep three-point range, and ability to control tempo. He excels in pick-and-roll situations, threading passes to rolling bigs while punishing defenses that go under screens with his pull-up shooting. His late-game shotmaking, including several buzzer-beating game-winners, has become a defining trademark of his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Career highlights include leading the Hawks to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals, his 56-point outburst against Portland, surpassing franchise three-point records, and tying the NCAA single-game assists record as a freshman. He has also been voted an NBA All-Star four times and earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2022.
Trae Young Career Wins
Across his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards, Trae Young has established himself as one of the most productive offensive guards of his generation. He is a four-time NBA All-Star, a 2022 All-NBA Third Team selection, and the 2025 NBA assists leader. He also led the NBA in total points and assists during the 2021–22 season.
NBA Highlights
Young has been named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, the All-NBA Third Team, and four All-Star teams in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. He led the league in assists per game in 2024–25 with a career-high 11.6 and set the Hawks’ single-season assist record with 880. He also holds the franchise record for most three-pointers made.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond the NBA, Young was named a consensus first-team All-American, won the Wayman Tisdale Award, and earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2018. He was also a McDonald’s All-American and represented the United States at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
Trae Young Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Young is the son of Candice and Rayford Young. His father played college basketball at Texas Tech before competing professionally in Europe, and an uncle also played college basketball at the NAIA level. He has a younger brother and two younger sisters.
Personal Life
Young began dating Shelby Miller in 2017, and the couple married on July 22, 2023. They welcomed a son in June 2022 and a daughter in November 2023. He is a practicing Christian and has served as an Honorary Board Member at The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma City since 2019.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 season represented the peak of Young’s statistical output to date. He finished the regular season leading the NBA in assists per game with a career-high 11.6 and set a Hawks franchise record with 880 total assists. He opened the year with back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games, joining Oscar Robertson in that exclusive club, and added a 20-assist performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Young also produced one of the most memorable moments of the season on January 7, 2025, sinking a half-court game-winning three against the Utah Jazz to cap a 24-point, 20-assist performance. His third 20-20 game of the year made him the first player to reach that mark since John Stockton in 1989–90.
However, his season was disrupted on October 29, 2025, when he suffered a sprained right MCL after a collision against the Brooklyn Nets. He missed 22 games before returning in mid-December and continued to play through lingering effects as Atlanta pushed toward the postseason. He was later traded to the Washington Wizards in January 2026, beginning a new phase of his career.
