Fantasy Basketball Trade Reaction: Jordan Poole headed to Pelicans, CJ McCollum dealt to Wizards

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Another trade alert. The New Orleans Pelicans traded CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and a 2025 second-round pick.

It’s an interesting swap of guards on two teams who finished near the bottom in their respective conferences. Let’s assess the fallout from this deal.

Risers

Jordan Poole – PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans

I like this move for Poole, as the Pelicans have a gigantic hole to fill without PG Dejounte Murray. He tore his Achilles in January, so it’ll be a while before he returns to the court. Poole bounced back nicely in his second season in Washington, upping his 2-point and 3-point efficiency and posting a career-high 1.3 steals per game. He finished 72nd in 9-cat leagues (the second-highest finish of his career) and averaged over 31 fantasy points per game. There’s some playmaking upside the longer Murray is sidelined.

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Poole just turned 26 and has two years left on his deal. He’s on the verge of entering his prime and lands on a more talented team, playing alongside Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Zion Williamson. I’ll be okay selecting Poole around Round 8 in fantasy, knowing he’s still a turnover machine.

Carlton “Bub” Carrington – PG/SG, Washington Wizards

On paper, bringing in McCollum doesn’t look like a vote of confidence for Carrington but the Wizards are executing a plan. Take advantage of scooping veterans on expiring deals to gain more flexibility for the future. They’ve done it with Khris Middleton, Jonas Valančiūnas, Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon and now, McCollum. Carrington’s ceiling is far higher with a mid-20s Poole off the roster. The keys to the offense are going to Bub; it’s just a matter of when. In 14 games without Poole last season, Carrington averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game with 46/43/85 shooting splits. The second-year pro will be a fantasy asset next season, with the likelihood of McCollum getting traded again.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards shed salary and acquired two players (McCollum and Olynyk) who have expiring contracts. Whether they decide to hold them is their prerogative but both veterans can help contenders down the road, which would net even more value for the Wizards. They’re going to have over $100 million in cap space heading into the 2026 offseason, so they’re well-positioned to make a splash in free agency to help accelerate their rebuild.

Fallers

CJ McCollum – PG/SG, Washington Wizards

It’s far from ideal to be moved to one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Sure, he’ll have moments where he’ll put up numbers, but it’s not sustainable knowing Washington is likely a pitstop. I could see the vision in drafting McCollum in fantasy because he could play his way out of Washington like Valančiūnas did last season. However, the Wizards need to develop their young core, so I could see some rest and load management days being built into his season. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see this transaction as a positive for his fantasy value.

Jordan Hawkins – SG, New Orleans Pelicans

If there was a window of opportunity for Hawkins to seize a larger role in the offense, it was now. With Poole coming in, plus a new regime, that opportunity has dwindled. Hawkins struggled to stay healthy last year, and it likely impacted his performance. It’s more likely that Jose Alvarado will get more playing time than Hawkins, but things could change once training camp gets underway.

New Orleans Pelicans

It feels like New Orleans is taking unnecessary risks. Poole is a good player, but defensively, he can be a liability as much as McCollum. He’s reckless with the ball, and his shot selection is highly volatile. Bey is a buy-low after missing last season with an ACL injury. The roster construction doesn’t make sense if the goal is winning. Olynyk was a useful big man, and now they’re left with just Yves Missi and Karlo Matković. Still, GM Joe Dumars was brought in to change the Pelicans’ culture, and if he trusts in Poole and a healthy Bey to help facilitate that change, we’ll have to wait and see how that turns out.

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