NBA Trade Grades for Pelicans, Wizards After CJ McCollum-Jordan Poole Deal

The roller coaster of NBA offseason trades continues, as CJ McCollum and Jordan Poole headlined yet another notable swap in the league.

Less than 24 hours after Jrue Holiday and Anfernee Simons were involved in a deal, another pair of impact guards will switch conferences.

ESPN's Shams Charania was first with the details:

This trade may not be as exciting as the Kevin Durant blockbuster or even Desmond Bane going to the Orlando Magic for a basket full of first-round picks, but it does make a sizable impact on both teams, especially financially.

Here's how both teams grade out.

New Orleans Pelicans: C-

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Change was inevitable in New Orleans this summer, as the Pelicans let go of David Griffin and hired Joe Dumars to lead the front office following an injury-riddled 21-61 season.

This wasn't the start Pels fans would have hoped for, though.

McCollum will turn 34 in September, yet he is still highly productive (21.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 37.3 percent from three last year) and has averaged 20 or more points per game for the last decade and counting. He established himself as a trusted locker room veteran and has been vocal about mentoring Zion Williamson following the veteran guard's trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022.

The Pelicans own the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 draft and should have been thrilled to have a vet like McCollum to embrace whoever they select. Not any more.

Jordan Poole is the younger option at guard having just turned 26, and he is actually coming off his best season (20.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 37.8 percent from three). The problem with making this swap (besides McCollum's locker room impact) is the money involved.

The four-year, $128 million contract Poole signed with the Golden State Warriors was dumped almost immediately by the Dubs, a deal they even had to attach a future first-round pick to get off of. McCollum's $30.6 million contract will come off the books next summer (along with Kelly Olynyk's $13.4 million) while the Pelicans will be forced to pay Poole over $34 million.

For a Pelicans team that's never paid the luxury tax and will have Williamson ($42.2 million), Dejounte Murray ($32.8 million) and Trey Murphy III ($27 million) all under contract in 2026-27, adding Poole's number (along with Saddiq Bey's guaranteed $6.4 million) already has them just $13 million shy of the tax line with Herb Jones due for a big raise the year after.

Trading for Poole only complicates the future salary picture in New Orleans while not truly moving the needle to being a more competitive team in 2025-26.

Moving Olynyk in the deal leaves the Pels with second-year center Yves Missi as the team's only rotation-level option at the position right now as well.

If New Orleans would have gotten a first-round pick to take back Poole's contract (like the Wizards originally did), this trade would have made far more sense.

Washington Wizards: B+

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Throwing three first-round picks into the fire immediately last season probably wasn't the best idea from a developmental standpoint for the Washington Wizards, although the franchise has since rebounded and added a locker room full of trusted veterans to help teach the young guys how to be pros.

The Wizards now get to add CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to a rotation that features NBA champion Khris Middleton and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, balancing out a core of former first-round picks in Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and others who should be hungry to learn.

Washington also owns the No. 5 overall pick in the draft and should be more willing to take a guard like Jeremiah Fears or Tre Johnson now that Jordan Poole and his multi-year contract are gone.

Simply moving off of Poole and the nearly $66 million he was owed the next two seasons for any expiring salary would have been a win. Getting a player as good as McCollum both on and off the court will help the team be more competitive in 2025-26 and hopefully make a lasting impact that this young core can use for the rest of their careers.

McCollum ($30.6 million), Middleton ($33.2 million), Smart ($21.5 million, Olynyk ($13.4 million) and Richaun Holmes ($13.2 million) will all be playing on expiring deals, giving the Wizards upwards of $80 million in cap space in the summer of 2026. Even if Washington doesn't land a top free agent next summer when players like Luka Dončić, Kevin Durant, Jaren Jackson Jr., De'Aaron Fox, Trae Young, Mikal Bridges and others will be available, they'll be a team all other franchises will be looking to to help facilitate deals and add future draft picks.

Washington will be far more competitive in 2025-26, the young core should all make a big leap with the help of the veterans around and the Wizards have a ton of cap space and future financial flexibility now.

The Wizards aren't going to make the playoffs next year, but this franchise is very much headed in the right direction.