"Between his inefficient play and limited impact on winning, the contract he was on just didn't look to be an attractive deal for nearly any team in the league to take on which made it a true nightmare for the Wizards to offload him in any potential deal. Fortunately, Poole's strong season in D.C. allowed for the narrative to change a bit giving the Wizards a bit of hope that eventually a team would come along desperate enough to take the guard off their hands."
"Not only is McCollum well into his 30's, but the veteran guard is on one of the steepest expiring contracts in the league. However, when the Wizards drafted Tre Johnson at No, 6 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft shortly after acquiring McCollum, it seemed that the move to land the veteran was the first domino to fall in order for the team to surround their young backcourt with a reliable mentor to further their development."
"And while that may still be true, it also seems like the biggest driving force for the Wizards to pull the trigger on a Jordan Poole-CJ McCollum swap was more about moving on from Poole than it was to land McCollum. Poole entered the offseason coming off a career-year in Washington, which was not only good for his career, but equally if not better for the Wizards."
The Washington Wizards traded Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey to the New Orleans Pelicans for CJ McCollum. McCollum is a veteran in his 30s on a steep expiring contract. The Wizards subsequently drafted Tre Johnson at No. 6 overall, creating a narrative of adding a mentor for a young backcourt. The primary motive for the trade appears to be moving on from Poole and his previously maligned contract. Poole produced a career year in Washington that improved his marketability and enabled the Wizards to find a trade partner willing to take him.
Read at Wiz of Awes
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