The Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans make a trade right before the draft.
The Wizards are sending Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the 40th pick for CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick.
The two franchises are at different points in the timeline.
For the Wizards, they are still trying to get from under a generation’s worth of moves that didn’t produce a consistent winner.
The trade opens up $40M in cap space for the Wizards in 2026-27.
Joe Dumars is in his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans and he’s trying to chart a path built around oft-injured star, Zion Williamson.