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June 25 EST: CJ McCollum packed his bags for Washington today, and with him went the last of New Orleans’ calming veteran voices. What the Pelicans got back? Jordan Poole, a walking bucket with a chip on his shoulder and everything still to prove.
This isn’t just a trade—it’s a handoff between eras. And if you’re a fan in either city, you felt it the second the news hit: something just changed.
Goodbye to the Grown-Up in the Room
CJ was never flashy in New Orleans. He didn’t ask for a statue, didn’t beg for spotlight. He just came in, hit big shots, kept the offense steady when Zion was limping and Ingram was searching, and gave the locker room something it badly needed: a grown-up.
21.1 points per game, the heart of a pro, and not once did he mail it in—even when the team slipped into that familiar New Orleans fog of “almost.”
Now he heads to the Wizards, of all places—a team that’s spent more time in the lottery simulator than on national TV. But make no mistake: Washington isn’t asking him to save the franchise. They’re asking him to bridge it, to keep it watchable, to buy time for something better.
And maybe that’s all he needs, too.
Enter Jordan Poole: Beautiful Chaos
Let’s talk about Jordan Poole.
Look, he’s been cooked by the media. Sometimes deservingly. The bad shots, the off-court noise, the defense that looks like it’s allergic to effort? Yeah, we’ve seen it. But 20.5 points a night doesn’t just fall off a truck. The guy can score, and when he’s feeling it—when he’s dancing with the ball and burying logo threes—he feels like a star.
Now, the Pelicans are gambling on that spark. They’re betting that next to Zion (if healthy), Ingram (if locked in), and maybe some surprise role guys, Poole won’t just chuck—they’re hoping he’ll grow up. That he’ll figure out how to be electric and efficient.
That’s a big ask. But if it clicks? Oh, boy. The Smoothie King Center is going to get loud again.
Saddiq Bey: The Sleeper
Don’t sleep on Saddiq Bey, either. Yes, he’s coming off an ACL, and yes, it might be a minute before we see him in uniform. But this is a 6’7” forward who once dropped 50 in an NBA game. There’s real talent there. And if New Orleans is patient, he could become their sneaky-good wing piece down the line.
Washington’s Quiet Win
Meanwhile, let’s give the Wizards a little credit. This trade won’t move Vegas futures, but it might do something even more important: give them clarity.
CJ and Kelly Olynyk—another vet who’s seen playoff wars—aren’t the future. They’re buffers. They’re what you need to protect your young guys from 60-loss despair.
And they come off the books soon. That means Washington walks into summer 2026 with cap space and maybe a clearer vision. Maybe.
Final Whistle
This isn’t KD-to-the-Warriors. It’s not even Beal-to-the-Suns. But it matters.
Because it shows two franchises trying to stop being stuck.
Because it sends a real hooper—CJ—to a place that needs one.
Because it gives a walking question mark—Poole—a shot at redemption in a city that’s long been waiting for its next great guard.
The jerseys just changed. Let’s see if the identities do, too.
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