Pelicans, Wizards' Updated Rosters, NBA Salary Cap, Draft Picks After McCollum Trade
The New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards executed a trade on Tuesday, per ESPN's Shams Charania, with CJ McCollum notably headed to the nation's capital and Jordan Poole going to New Orleans.
Here's a look at their updated rosters (via Spotrac), salary caps (via Basketball-Reference) and 2025 draft picks (via NBA.com) after the move.
Pelicans' New Potential Starting Lineup and Sixth Man
Pelicans Active Roster and 2025-26 Salaries (Expiration Year)
Zion Williamson, PF: $39.4M (2028)
Jordan Poole, SG: $31.8M (2027)
Dejounte Murray, PG: $31.6M (2028)
Trey Murphy III, SF: $25M (2029)
Herbert Jones, SF: $13.9M (2027)
Saddiq Bey, SF: $6.1M (2027)
Jordan Hawkins, SG: $4.7M (2027)
Jose Alvarado, PG: $4.5M (2027)
Yves Missi, C: $3.4M (2028)
Karlo Matković, PF: $2M (2027)
Lestor Quinones, SG: Two-Way (2026)
Bruce Brown Jr., SG: UFA
Elfrid Payton, PG: Club Option
Keion Brooks Jr., SF: RFA
Antonio Reeves, SG: RFA
Jamal Cain, SF: RFA
Brandon Boston Jr., SG: Club Option
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, PF: UFA
Pelicans 2025-26 Salary Allocations and Cap
The Pelicans were listed as having $176.1 million on the 2025-26 payroll before the trade. McCollum ($30.7 million) and Olynyk ($13.4 million) now head to Washington for Poole ($31.8 million) and Bey ($6.1 million). In other words, the Pels are trading $44.1 million in salary for $37.9 million.
They are therefore losing $6.2 million, bringing their total down to roughly $169.9 million for next year. That puts them over the projected 2025-26 cap ($154.6 million) by $15.3 million. However, they'd still be well under the projected $187.9 million luxury tax.
Pelicans Draft Picks
New Orleans Pelicans: No. 7, No. 23 and No. 40
Wizards' New Potential Starting Lineup and Sixth Man
Wizards Active Roster and 2025-26 Salary (Expiration Year)
Khris Middleton, SF: $33.3M (2026)
C.J. McCollum, SG: $30.7M (2026)
Marcus Smart, PG: $21.6M (2026)
Corey Kispert, SF: $14M (2028)
Kelly Olynyk, PF: $13.4M (2026)
Richaun Holmes, C: $13.3M (2026)
Alex Sarr, PF: $11.8M (2028)
Bilal Coulibaly, SF: $7.3M (2027)
Bub Carrington, PG: $4.7M (2028)
AJ Johnson, PG: $3.1M (2028)
Kyshawn George, SG: $3M (2028)
Anthony Gill, PF: $2.5M (2026)
Justin Champagnie, SF: $2.3M (2028)
Colby Jones, SG: $2.2M (2027)
Jaylen Martin, F: Two-Way (2026)
Malcolm Brogdon, PG: UFA
Tristan Vukčević, C: RFA
JT Thor, PF: RFA
Washington Wizards Salary Cap
The Wizards were listed as having $157 million on the 2025-26 payroll before the trade. Poole ($31.8 million) and Bey ($6.1 million) now go to New Orleans for McCollum ($30.7 million) and Olynyk ($13.4 million). With the trade, New Orleans is dealing $37.9 million in salary for $44.1 million.
They are therefore adding $6.2 million in payroll, bringing their 2025-26 total up to roughly $163.2 million for next year. That puts them over the projected 2025-26 cap ($154.6 million) by $8.6 million. However, they'd still be well under the projected $187.9 million luxury tax.
Wizards Draft Picks
No. 6 and No. 18 in 2025. The Wizards are also getting a future second-round draft pick—year of that selection has not yet been revealed.
Charania offered more insight into the move:
As Charania noted, the Wizards now have a ton of cap space in 2026. Poole's contract runs through 2027, while McCollum's expires after next season. That could certainly help the young and rebuilding Wizards add some key free agents to a young core of lottery picks, a la the Houston Rockets a few offseasons ago when they picked up Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Those moves helped Houston accelerate a turnaround and earn the No. 2 seed in the 2025 Western Conference playoffs.
As for the Pelicans, they are under new leadership with president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and general manager Troy Weaver now leading the way. A host of injuries has symbolized this team's decade, with the Pelicans certainly having the talent to excel but unfortunately not the health luck to be able to do so. Last year's team bottomed out after a 49-33 season in 2023-24, going 21-61 (second-last in the Western Conference). Twenty different players started for New Orleans over the season. Now the Pelicans look to shake up their core again and get younger with Poole in hopes of at least contending for the playoffs.
