The New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards both finished near the bottom of their conferences. However, both teams had different obstacles throughout the season. The Pelicans were ravaged by injuries, including one that ended CJ McCollum's season in late March. The Wizards, on the other hand, started the season hoping Jordan Poole could lead their group of young players.

When New Orleans and Washington swapped McCollum and Poole, fans wondered which team made out in the deal. The Pelicans have a younger, shoot-first guard to put alongside Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. The Wizards get another veteran to help teach their young players with Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart.

Here are our trade grades for the McCollum-Poole deal for each team.

New Orleans Pelicans: B+

When New Orleans traded for Poole, it cleared up one of the biggest problems with their backcourt. Murray and McCollum co-existed well enough last season, but the overall offense struggled. Now, the Pelicans have a former champion who has no problem taking his shots when they come.

While he is not as good of a spot-up shooter, Poole could thrive in the chaos that Williamson causes as the ball-handler. Defensively, Poole does not offer much improvement over McCollum. However, with Murray back from injury and wings like Murphy III and Herb Jones, he won't have to do much on that end of the floor.

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Poole proved that he can still get his own shot when an offensive possession falls apart. At 33 years old, McCollum is not as fast as he used to be and struggles to get a step on defenders. Poole's energy makes a big difference on a team looking to replicate the Indiana Pacers' style of play. Getting Saddiq Bey and a draft pick in the deal should not be overlooked, either.

Washington Wizards: B

Washington brought in Middleton, Smart, and now McCollum to bring some balance to their roster. They could be trying to mimic what the Oklahoma Thunder did this season. Alex Caruso, Kenrich Williams, and Isaiah Hartenstein were crucial to the maturity of the NBA champions.

At the very least, all three veterans are on expiring deals that will help clear the Wizards' books before next summer. Washington's rebuild started when they traded Bradley Beal away in 2023. Two seasons later, they already have four young players that could develop into stars. The Wizards could make it five if they hit on the No. 6 pick in the NBA Draft.

Washington and general manager Will Dawkins is not trying to win this season. However, moves like this one set the team up well moving forward without wasting the season. Now, it is up to head coach Brian Keefe to convince his veterans to impart as much wisdom as he can on players like Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr.