Trae Young somehow earned an ejection before he even set foot on the Wizards’ home floor for the first time with Washington. The four-time All-Star, who was traded from Atlanta in early January, was due to debut on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz but ended up leaving the bench area during Washington’s 123-118 loss to the Houston Rockets, drawing a technical and an ejection in the process. He stepped onto the court on Monday to object to a non-call involving Tari Eason in the third quarter, a moment that sparked the ejection for both Young and Eason. Young later lightheartedly commented on the incident, posting on social media that he doesn’t expect to be ejected many more times in D.C., but that he will bring energy and competitiveness when he returns for his teammates.
Meanwhile, Young has been dealing with a sprained MCL and quad strain, keeping him out since the end of December. He announced earlier on Monday that Thursday would be his target return date.
The Wizards, who have struggled as a franchise for much of the last decade and have barely missed the postseason since the mid-2010s, hope the addition of Young—who has averaged 25.2 points per game over his career—alongside 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis (who’s returning after a hand injury) can turn the franchise around. Davis, however, has been sidelined since January due to the hand issue. The path to a playoff run for Washington looks different with these high-profile additions, and their impact will be watched closely as the season progresses.
