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The New Orleans Pelicans are trading veteran guard CJ McCollum to the Washington Wizards in a package that sends Jordan Poole to New Orleans, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
McCollum is heading to the Wizards along with Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick in exchange for Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the 40th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Pelicans now own the 7th, 23rd, and 40th picks in this year's draft after agreeing to trades with the Indiana Pacers and the Wizards over the last week.
As he enters the final year of his contract, McCollum embarks on a new journey with his third different team after spending the last four seasons in New Orleans. He will make $30.6 million before entering free agency in 2026.
With a new regime taking over for the Pelicans led by Joe Dumars, this front office had been searching for ways to actively improve their roster around Zion Williamson. McCollum entering the final year of his contract provided the organization with a path to unload salary and immediately find an upgrade at a position of need.
The Pelicans have long been seeking backcourt help, and since Dejounte Murray is still recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered during the 2024-25 season, Poole will slide into a starting role in the backcourt.
Poole, 26, was a key part of the Golden State Warriors' championship run in 2022 before he was ultimately traded to the Wizards in 2023 for Chris Paul. This was a temporary move Washington made at the time, as they have now flipped Poole for quick cap relief.
In his two seasons with the Wizards, Poole averaged 18.8 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 35.3 percent from 3-point range. His dynamic play and ability to push the pace provide the Pelicans with playmaking and speed at the point guard position, two things they lacked with McCollum.
Bey is another intriguing player for the Pelicans to add to their roster. The 26-year-old forward spent all of the 2024-25 season recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in March 2024. Before this injury, Bey was a rising scoring wing on a lot of teams' radar, and he even participated in Team USA activities during the offseason when he was with the Detroit Pistons.
He will make $6.1 million during the 2025-26 season with two years left on his current contract. This is an intriguing addition for the Pelicans, who already have Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones on the wing. It has become clear that the Pelicans have an agenda to add length and scorers on the wing, which is why taking a low-cost chance on Bey makes sense.
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Both Poole and Bey are 26 years old, putting them on the same timeline as Williamson (24) and Murphy (25).
Along with sending McCollum to Washington, Olynyk and a future second-round pick are also now in the Wizards' hands.
Olynyk was traded to the Pelicans before the trade deadline in February as part of the Brandon Ingram trade with the Toronto Raptors. This will be the eighth team Olynyk has played for, although he will likely be on the move at some point in the near future since he will make $13.4 million in the final year of his contract.
Last season, Olynyk averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 41.8 percent in 44 combined games with the Raptors and Pelicans.
By leveraging Poole and Bey, the Wizards were able to move off long-term contracts in favor of two proven veterans on expiring deals. When factoring in the other expiring contracts Washington owns with Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, and Richaun Holmes, the Wizards are projected to have close to $100 million in cap space for the 2026 offseason.
The Wizards continue to build on their young core, and they now have more experienced talents to help mold their recent draft picks and take them under their wings.
