The Washington Wizards are breathing a sigh of relief after losing star point guard Trae Young during Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
Young reinjured his right quadriceps against Golden State and underwent imaging related to back pain, which confirmed lower back irritation, Washington announced Saturday.
The team said that both injuries will be treated conservatively and will not require surgery at this time.
Young — acquired by the Wizards from the Atlanta Hawks before the NBA trade deadline in February — exited against the Warriors after he was trying to run away from his defender when he collided with forward Will Richard.
The four-time all-star immediately began limping after the collision, eventually making his way to the locker room, after which he wouldn’t return. Young exited the game with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, to go with two rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in just over 21 minutes of action.
Despite leaving early, it was Young’s highest single-game scoring output as a member of the Wizards, surpassing his previous high of 17 points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on March 8.
Young had remained out of Washington’s lineup in its two games since he left against Golden State, both of which were losses to the Detroit Pistons.
Last year’s assist leader has appeared in just five games with Washington since he was dealt because of a lingering knee issue. He averaged 15.2 points, three rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 42.9 per cent from deep in that span.
Young played in just 10 games for the Hawks through the 2025-26 season before he was traded and averaged 19.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists and one steal on a career-worst 30.5 per cent shooting from distance.
The former All-NBA guard spent parts of the first seven seasons of his pro career in Atlanta after he was selected fifth overall in 2018 and acquired by the Hawks in a draft-night swap with the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Dončić.
Washington added Saturday that further updates on Young’s status will be provided as appropriate.
The Wizards currently sit 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 16-53 record.
