For the past few years, Trae Young has been public enemy No. 1 for New York Knicks fans.
It started in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, when Young and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Knicks in five games to win the opening round of the postseason.
Since then, Young has been booed and not welcomed at Madison Square Garden, as he's probably the Knicks' fans' least favorite player in the league.
However, that mindset might have to change for fans if Young ends up becoming a Wizard.
Why will Knicks fans have to root for Trae Young?
Young's days with the Hawks are ending, and he's reportedly picked the Wizards as his preferred destination in a trade.
The Wizards are one of the worst teams, record-wise, in the Eastern Conference, so you may be wondering why the Knicks would have to root for Young playing on such a poor team.
Well, it's simple: New York owns Washington's 2026 first-round pick.
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There is a catch. The draft pick is top-8 protected, and the Wizards are currently nowhere near a spot where the Knicks have a high chance at owning the rights to the pick come draft day.
It's not impossible, though, especially if the Wizards add an elite scorer and passer like Young, who could turn the tide for the Wizards in the second half of the season.
Knicks fans might not like the idea of having to root for Young, but the 2026 NBA Draft class is one of the deepest we have had in recent years, so it would pay off to get a lottery pick in exchange for rooting for Young to have some success in Washington.
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