The New Orleans Pelicans are taking a swing. After last season was a complete dud, some recent Pelicans trade news indicates that the team wants to make some major changes. ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the news Tuesday that the Pelicans have made a significant trade for the future of their franchise.
The Wizards-Pelicans trade is as follows:
Washington Wizards trade: Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the No.40 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft
New Orleans Pelicans trade: CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick
Getting Jordan Poole is an exciting move for the Pelicans. They are already a young team with a lot of upside, now they are even younger. They also have more potential.
Although Poole didn’t show in Washington that he can lead a winning team, he did show that he has a lot of raw scoring talent.
The Pelicans are betting on the fact that if they can put him around more skilled teammates, he will flourish. Poole averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, and three assists last season while shooting 37.8% from three. He will bring his dynamic offensive skillset to New Orleans.
Saddiq Bey is also a nice piece worth taking a flyer on. He tore his ACL and missed last season. Before that, he averaged 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Atlanta Hawks.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The Pelicans do lose some flexibility with this deal. However, the upside of Poole and Bey is probably worth it.
More NBA: Warriors projected to trade for impact starting center in this offseason idea