The Wizards’ offseason is in full swing. The franchise traded guard Jordan Poole and forward Saddiq Bey to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for guard CJ McCollum and center Kelly Olynyk, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
The two franchises also exchanged second-round draft picks in the deal. The Pelicans received the No. 40 pick in this year’s draft while the Wizards added full rights to the Chicago Bulls’ second-round pick in 2027.
The Wizards already owned the rights if that pick fell in the first 20 picks of the round, but the Pelicans would’ve received the selection if it landed in the final 10 spots.
Poole was the leading scorer for a Wizards team that finished with the second-worst record in the NBA last year. He averaged 20.5 points per game as the primary ball handler on the ever-rebuilding squad.
The 26-year-old entered the offseason as a likely trade candidate. The former Golden State Warrior didn’t align with the Wizards’ forward-looking timeline. If they kept him on the roster, the Wizards would owe Poole $31.8 million next season and $34 million for the 2026-27 campaign.
Flipping Poole for McCollum, 33, frees up cap flexibility in the future for Washington. McCollum’s contract expires next summer, and the Wizards could have up to $100 million in cap space next offseason, depending on where the NBA sets the salary cap.
Bey and Olynyk present a similar dynamic. Bey, 26, is younger and presents more potential than the 34-year-old Olynyk.
But Olynyk’s contract expires after the upcoming season, while Bey is signed through the 2026-27 campaign.
With the trade, the Wizards pushed any playoff hopes down the road by another year. The Pelicans, who finished 14th in the Western Conference with a 20-61 record, could look to make a run at the postseason more imminently.
McCollum will provide another veteran presence for a young Wizards locker room. The NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2016 has served as the players’ association president since 2021.
Some foundational pieces — 20-year-olds Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr along with 19-year-old Bub Carrington — are already in place. They have room to grow, though.
Washington general manager Will Dawkins has targeted veterans who can mentor those youngsters.
At the trade deadline, the Wizards added three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton from the Milwaukee Bucks and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
“We’re pouring into the future. We’re pouring into those young guys. We expected it to be a little rocky,” Dawkins said at his end-of-season press conference in April. “We stumbled a really good amount out of the gate, but I do think we found a little bit more of a rhythm towards the end of the season.”
Olynyk, a lanky center with three-point range, boasts similarities to the still-growing Sarr. The No. 2 pick in last year’s draft flashed potential in his rookie campaign but struggled to find his shooting stroke.
Olynyk may be able to help. Wizards fans are familiar with just how potent the Canadian can be — he tortured Washington during his previous stops with the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.
In 2017, Olynyk almost single-handedly ended a Wizards playoff run with the Celtics. In Game 7 of a second-round playoff series, the Gonzaga product scored 26 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Boston won the game 115-105.
Washington hasn’t won a playoff series since then.
The Wizards’ rebuild continues on Wednesday night with the first round of the NBA Draft. Washington holds the sixth and 18th picks in the opening round.