The Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans on June 24, 2025, facilitated a massive trade that will reshape both teams as they enter the 2025 NBA Draft and beyond. 

The trade, which was made public by ESPN's Shams Charania, sees the Pelicans trade veteran guard CJ McCollum, center Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round draft choice to the Wizards for guard Jordan Poole, forward Saddiq Bey, and the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Below, we dissect how this trade will affect the two sides as well as include a statistical breakdown of the players involved.

 

New Orleans Pelicans Trade Impact

Pelicans bringing in Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the No. 40 pick is a step in the direction of youth and potential as they continue to construct around Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray. The 26-year-old Poole adds a high-scoring presence and championship pedigree from his stint with the Golden State Warriors. 

His 2024-25 Wizards season highlighted him as a franchise point guard, averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 three-pointers per game on 37.8% from three-point range. At his young age and playmaking ability, he is a long-term solution to support Murray with more of a dynamic backcourt punch than 33-year-old McCollum. Aside from this, Poole's deal until 2026-27 gives New Orleans a more youthful, cost-controlled asset than McCollum's expiring contract.

Saddiq Bey, the 26-year-old wing, offers flexibility to the Pelicans' frontcourt. Regardless of whether or not his 2024-25 season statistics are included, Bey has consistently been a reliable 3-and-D wing who possesses a floor-stretching and multi-position defensive ability. 

His addition provides New Orleans with an over-the-angry complement to Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson and potentially fortifies their wing rotation. The No. 40 pick, while not a high-value asset, provides the Pelicans the opportunity to pick up a young project or stash the pick to use as trade bait with another team in the future, in keeping with their draft asset hoard.

The trade indicates that the Pelicans are valuing flexibility and youth. By shipping off McCollum's expiring contract and Olynyk's contract (runs through 2025-26), they are not committing themselves to aging veterans and bringing aboard players who are part of their long-term vision. 

The trade also opens up cap space in 2026, when McCollum's contract would have expired, so New Orleans can go search for more talent to fill around their core. But the Pelicans need to fix Poole's turnover problem (3.0 per game in 2024-25) and recover Bey from whatever injury issues to make the most of this trade.

 

Washington Wizards Trade Impact

Acquiring CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round draft pick for Washington is a smart trade to add depth in veterans without giving up too much in cap space. McCollum is a veteran playmaker and scorer who brings experience to a young Wizards roster that ranked as the fifth-youngest in the league with an average age of 25.1 in 2024-25. 

McCollum posted 21.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.1 three-pointers on 37.3% from three-point distance in 2024-25. His upcoming expiring contract provides Washington with a high-scoring threat for the 2025-26 season without any long-term financial commitments, with almost $100 million of cap space projected in 2026. This provides the Wizards room to go after star players in free agency or in trade as the rebuild moves forward.

Kelly Olynyk, the role-playing center, adds depth on the frontline and playmaking. His precise 2024-25 numbers are unknown, but Olynyk is a master at spacing the floor and setting up from the center position, and this might be appropriate for Washington's young core, including recent draft picks such as Alex Toohey (anticipated No. 40 choice in some mock drafts). The potential future second-round pick also gives Washington more draft collateral, giving them more goods to develop or employ as future trade assets.

But the Wizards do risk losing Poole, a young scorer who was starting to come on, and Bey, a nice young wing with potential. The trade speaks to Washington's preference for short-term stability and cap room rather than playing the long-term gamble on Poole. With four selections in the top 40 of the 2025 draft, No. 6 and No. 18 among them, the Wizards are able to add youth and utilize McCollum's veteran leadership to lead their rebuild.

 

CJ McCollum Stats

CJ McCollum is a 12-year NBA scoring guard. His career and 2024-25 season stats playing for the New Orleans Pelican are as follows:

  • Career Averages (2013-24): 20.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 45.1% FG, 39.5% 3P, 79.2% FT, 33.7 MPG in 787 games.
  • 2024-25 Season (NOP): 21.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 44.4% FG, 37.3% 3P, 71.7% FT, 32.7 MPG in 56 games.

McCollum's endurance (66+ games for each of the past three years) and shooting ability are a plus to supplement the Wizards' backcourt, but he's a short-term commodity because of his age (33) and expiring deal.

 

Jordan Poole Stats

Jordan Poole, who was a champion with the Golden State Warriors, has become a high-volume scorer. Below are his career averages and 2024-25 season numbers with the Washington Wizards:

  • Career Averages (2019-24): 16.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 41.9% FG, 33.6% 3P, 87.3% FT, 27.3 MPG in 364 games.
  • 2024-25 Season (WAS): 20.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 43.2% FG, 37.8% 3P, 88.3% FT, 29.4 MPG in 68 games.

Poole's upgraded 2024-25 three-point shooting and steal rate reflect him developing as a lead guard, although his turnover percentage is an ongoing issue. His youth and contract status make him a franchise building block for the future Pelicans backcourt.

The trade reflects opposite priorities of the Pelicans and Wizards. New Orleans bets all on youth and potential with Bey and Poole, hoping to construct around a dynamic unit headlined by Zion Williamson while keeping flexibility in the draft. 

Washington likes experienced leadership and space money, using McCollum's scoring and Olynyk's overall match wits to set the pace for their young core while constructing for a splashy 2026. 

Both teams are meeting current needs but also looking down the road, so this is an even exchange that could be worth it based on how each of these players adjusts to their new home.

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