Poole & Bey to Pels for McCollum and Wizard-Killer

[NatP4]

The 2nd round of this draft seems pretty awful with so many guys going back to school. I don’t think #40 has much value.

They just got out of 34 million in 2026 for free.

[bsilver]

Wonder what the addition of Olynick mean for Vukcevic. If he's signed for this year we''ll have 3 "soft" centers and continue to get pushed around. I think Vuk is gone and we'll be looking for some beef. Or Olynick is not long for the Wizards.

[payitforward]

Vukcevic is on a 2-way contract. Hard to see him as an NBA player to tell the truth.

Olynyk is 34. Going into his 14th year. If we keep him. More likely we waive him & eat his salary.

[The Consiglieri]

Do people think we keep McCollum? I feel like he gets moved.

That's what I was wondering too, I get the sense that McCollum and Olynk would be easier to move live in this draft as assets: both are expirings, have some utility, whereas Poole had two more crappy years left on his deal. I was assuming this deal meant we could package these guys in a move. I hate losing 40, but maybe in packaging these guys, we have more flexibility in the draft itself? I guess the worst case is we just flip one or both at the deadline for pick(s).

[AFM]

I've been posting here so long I remember CCJ had been banging McCollum's drum like crazy around that draft. Well, we finally got him a decade later.

[The Consiglieri]

I don't think trading Poole should change what they do tomorrow night at No.6, assuming they don't trade up or back. That they should pick a 1 or 2. Take the best player.

Only a colossal idiot would allow the presence or lack there of of Jordan Poole to impact draft day decision making. Take the best guy available, or trade up for the best guy you can get (or down). Poole, McCollum and Olynk are totally irrelevant.

[The Consiglieri]

I agree this looks like the precursor to a draft day move that absorbs a haul of salary in order to pull in extra picks.

PG13 for the #3 or something to climb up from 18.

Feels like step 1 of another move.

Maybe something involving Beal&10th overall.

Maybe this is just me, but I don't get the many, many, many references to Beal. I see no reason we'd ever take him on, nor that he'd ever want to come back.

[AFM]

Maybe a trade for Deni Advija perchance?

[80sballboy]

Read on Twitter

[DukeLecker]

I've been posting here so long I remember CCJ had been banging McCollum's drum like crazy around that draft. Well, we finally got him a decade later.

While you’re at it let’s find Morris Almond and give him a camp invite.

[penbeast0]

Guess this means we're definitely going guard at 6 or 18. If McCollum becomes a hoped-for expiring-to-move we'll need more help. Unless they're banking on Johnson...

Unless Bailey slips, most of the other top prospects are guards. That said, you still have Bub and AJ with CJ and Smart to learn from, plus Coulibaly, Champagne, and Kispert played some 2 last year as well. I have no problem picking a guy like Maluach or Essengue if the team thinks they are the best for us.

Our front court is far thinner than that with only Sarr, Holmes, Kelly O, and maybe Vukevic as bigs though the team has had no problem playing Keyshawn George or one of our other 3s at the 4 and going small ball.

[AFM]

Watch on YouTube

[nate33]

We got a better player on a shorter contract. This is a big win considering what Poole's value was a year ago.

And a player who is no longer trying to make a name for himself, so he should be OK yielding minutes to younger players.

[nate33]

I wonder if Philly would give us the #3 pick outright if we absorbed Embiid’s horrible contract.

Then we trade #3 and #6 for #2.

[nate33]

I wish to bid a fond farewell to Jordan Poole. He was terrible his first season, but I really kinda liked him his second season. And he set a good example for his teammates.

[payitforward]

Anyone remember the 2023-4 season? A year ago?

How many guys are on the Wizards regular roster right now who were on that roster 14 months ago -- at the end of the 2023-4 season?

Coulibaly, Kispert & Gill. That's it. Plus we have an option on Holmes.

[nate33]

I wonder if they're contemplating flipping McCollum for Jalen Green? Phoenix needs a PG, needs salary relief, and is in win-now territory so they would prefer a veteran. We gamble on a freak athlete who is still just 23 years old.

[nate33]

Man, our veteran lineup actually makes pretty good sense on paper:

PG McCollum
SG Smart
SF Kispert
PF Middleton
C Olynyk

Don't get me wrong. I hope we don't see too many minutes from any of these guys, but it's kind of a shame to have so many decent veteran role players when contending teams could use them.

I get the argument that a few veteran mentors is good to help guide the youngsters, but we don't need 5 guys who can all still play (in limited minutes at least).

[nate33]

The 2nd round of this draft seems pretty awful with so many guys going back to school. I don’t think #40 has much value.

They just got out of 34 million in 2026 for free.

Yeah, it looks like the talent falls off a cliff right around #30 - as one would expect given that second round picks don't get guaranteed contracts. Better to stay in school and at least make a little money on endorsements in the local media market.

It will probably be like this again next year. But by 2027, all these older college players won't be able to stay in school anymore and will have to declare for the draft. That's when there might be a pretty deep pool of 23-year-old, NBA-ready, role-playing draft prospects.

[tontoz]

I wonder if they're contemplating flipping McCollum for Jalen Green? Phoenix needs a PG, needs salary relief, and is in win-now territory so they would prefer a veteran. We gamble on a freak athlete who is still just 23 years old.

I sure hope not. I watched Houston a lot on LP and I am out on Green.

The timing of the trade is curious though. It may well be that this trade was done to facilitate another trade.