Wizards, Pelicans trade: Jordan Poole, CJ McCollum among players changing teams

The Washington Wizards will trade guard Jordan Poole, forward Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick in the second round of 2025 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans for guard CJ McCollum, forward-center Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The Wizards continue to carve out salary cap space for the summer of 2026. McCollum and Olynyk are on expiring deals, and both can provide veteran leadership for a young team.

Washington has the No. 6 and No. 18 picks in the first round of the draft on Wednesday, June 25, and building a talented backcourt is high on its priority list.

After a difficult 2023-24 season with the Wizards, Poole, 26, bounced back in 2024-25, averaging a career-high 20.5 points and matching a career-high in assists at 4.5. He shot 43.2% from the field, 37.8% on 3-pointers and 88.3% on free throws. He is entering the third season of a four-year, $128 million contract and is set to make $31.8 million in 2025-26 and $34 million in 2026-27. He will be a free agent in the summer of 2027.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wizards, Pelicans trade: Jordan Poole, CJ McCollum changing teams