Trae Young and Luka Doncic will always be linked together in basketball history as they were traded for each other on draft night back in 2018. Now, neither player is still with the team that initially drafted him.
Doncic was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the trade deadline last season, and Young was recently just traded to the Washington Wizards from the Atlanta Hawks.
Luka Doncic happy for Trae Young after trade to Wizards
After L.A.’s 107-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, Doncic reacted to the news of Young’s trade and offered optimism regarding his fellow ’18 draftee.
“Obviously, we came [in] together. We got traded for each other," Doncic said. "So there’s been a lot of talk about me and him. We have a good relationship. I have a lot of respect for him. So if he's excited for this new journey, I'm excited for him."
Luka Doncic, who was traded for Trae Young on draft night, reacts to Young being traded to Washington: “I have a lot of respect for him. So if he’s excited for this new journey, I’m excited for him” pic.twitter.com/7Trmr5o5g5
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 8, 2026
Young was traded to Washington in exchange for veteran guard CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. He leaves Atlanta as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and made 3-pointers, and he’s sixth in scoring in franchise history.
As for Doncic, he’ll get an opportunity to play against Young in his new threads not once, but twice this season. The Lakers and Wizards are set to meet in Washington at the end of January and then again in L.A. At the end of March.
More Trae Young trade news:
- CJ McCollum reacts to being traded to Atlanta Hawks for Trae Young
- When does Trae Young play his first game against the Atlanta Hawks?