Mar 15, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after scoring a basket during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

CJ McCollum Breaks Silence After Wizards-Pelicans Trade

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 4:30 PM ET

On Tuesday, the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards agreed to a very unexpected deal. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Pelicans are sending CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the 40th overall pick in Wednesday's draft.

This trade certainly makes sense for the Pelicans, swapping 33-year-old CJ McCollum and 34-year-old Kelly Olynyk for a pair of 26-year-olds in Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey, as the team makes an attempt to get younger. However, this makes Washington's lineup very interesting.

New look for the Wizards next season pic.twitter.com/dFQz9W8K6u
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 24, 2025

The Wizards now have a trio of veterans in McCollum, Khris Middleton, and Marcus Smart to play alongside their young core, but more importantly, they are all on expiring contracts. Financially, this was a great move for the Wizards, but McCollum's veteran presence is still much more than that.

McCollum, the president of the National Basketball Players Association, is now fittingly heading to Washington D.C., the nation's capital. McCollum took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the trade.

Via CJ McCollum: "The funniest tweet I’ve seen today is that I’m going to get blamed for the tariffs now too "

The funniest tweet I’ve seen today is that I’m going to get blamed for the tariffs now too
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) June 24, 2025

McCollum has averaged 20+ points per game in each of his three full seasons with the Pelicans, continuing to be one of the most underrated players in the NBA. McCollum will be a great veteran next to young Wizards guard Bub Carrington, and the 33-year-old guard seems to be taking the news of being traded lightly.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Pelicans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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