Trae Young

Rayford Trae Young (born September 19, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, where in his one season in 2017–18, he tied the then NCAA Division I single-game assists record with 22 and became the only player to ever lead the NCAA in both points and assists in a single season.

Nicknamed "Ice Trae," he was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA draft with the fifth pick, and traded the same day to the Atlanta Hawks, along with a future first-round pick, for the draft rights to Luka Dončić. He joined Dončić in a unanimous selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2019. He is a four-time NBA All-Star, and led the Hawks to three playoff runs, including a trip to the conference finals in 2021.

Early life

Born on September 19, 1998 in Lubbock, Texas, Trae Young is the son of Candice and Rayford Young. His father played basketball at Texas Tech and also played professionally in Europe. Trae grew up in Pampa, Texas with his mother and grandparents while his father played basketball overseas. He has a younger brother and two younger sisters. Trae also has an uncle who played college basketball in the NAIA.

Trae went to Norman North High School in Norman, Oklahoma. In his second year, he scored 25 points on average, along with 5 assists and 4 rebounds per game, helping his team win the 2015 area championship and earning him the title of Oklahoma's Sophomore of the Year. By his third year, he improved a lot, averaging 34.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. His team had a great season with a 28–4 record, winning the regional title and coming in second in the 2016 Oklahoma Class 6A championship game. In his final year, he averaged 42.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting very well.

Trae was regarded as one of the top players in the 2017 recruiting class by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and ESPN. ESPN ranked him as the second-best point guard that year, while the other sites placed him third. On February 16, 2017, Trae decided to join the Oklahoma Sooners. He was the University of Oklahoma's first top-rated new player since Tiny Gallon in 2010.

College career

Trae Young began his college basketball journey in the 2017–18 season. In his early games, he showed great skill, scoring lots of points and helping teammates with passes. One standout game was when he scored 43 points and helped his team win.

Throughout the season, Young led the whole country in scoring and in helping teammates. He was the only player ever to lead in both points and assists in a single season. His amazing performance earned him many awards, including National Freshman of the Year. After the season ended, Young decided to leave college and join the NBA in the 2018 NBA draft.

Professional career

Atlanta Hawks (2018–2026)

2018–19 season: All-Rookie honors

On June 21, 2018, Young was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks but was quickly traded to the Atlanta Hawks for another player, Luka Dončić. He began playing for the Hawks that same year. In his first season, Young had many great games, scoring lots of points and handing out many assists. By the end of the season, he was named to the NBA's All-Rookie First Team.

2019–20 season: first All-Star selection

In the next season, Young kept playing well. He was chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Game, a big honor for players. He had several games where he scored a lot of points and helped his team win.

2020–21 season: Eastern Conference finals appearance

The following season, Young helped lead the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals, one of the last steps before the NBA Finals. He played very well during these important games.

2021–22 season: first All-NBA selection

In the 2021–22 season, Young was named to the All-NBA Team for the first time, showing he was one of the best players in the league that year. He had many games with high points and assists.

2022–23 season: new backcourt mate

Before the 2022–23 season began, the Hawks got a new player named Dejounte Murray to help Young. With Murray, Young’s job got a little easier, and he still had many great games.

2023–24 season: franchise leader in three-pointers

In the 2023–24 season, Young became the player who had made the most three-pointers in Hawks history, passing a former player.

2024–25 season: leading the NBA in assists

The next season, Young led the NBA in assists, meaning he passed more balls to his teammates than any other player. He had several games with lots of points and assists.

2025–26 season: injury and turmoil with Atlanta

In the 2025–26 season, Young hurt his knee and missed some games. When he returned, he didn’t play as well as before.

Washington Wizards (2026–present)

In January 2026, Young was traded to the Washington Wizards. He changed his jersey number to 3 and played his first game for the Wizards later that season.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Personal life

Trae Young began dating Shelby Miller in 2017, and they got married in July 2023 after being engaged for 19 months. They have a son born in June 2022 and a daughter born in November 2023. Young is a Christian.

He appeared in the second season of the Young Hollywood show Rookie on the Rise, which followed his first year playing in the NBA. In August 2019, he became an Honorary Board Member at The Children's Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma City. In November 2023, a street in his hometown was named Trae Young Drive. In March 2025, he joined the University of Oklahoma as the team's assistant general manager.