Former Gonzaga standouts team-up following NBA trade

Kelly Olynyk is set to join another former Gonzaga standout in the nation's capital after being traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

The Pelicans dealt C.J. McCollum and Olynyk to the Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, according to league insider Chris Haynes. The transaction came four months following Olynyk's arrival in New Orleans.

Olynyk, set to join the eighth team of his 12-year career, will now share the locker room with another former first-round pick out of Gonzaga for the first time as a pro. Corey Kispert, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft, has spent the past four seasons with the Wizards.

Kispert is coming off averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 61 games played this past season, shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range. The 6-foot-7 forward had to miss the final month of the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair a ligament tear in his left thumb.

Olynyk put up 10.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 20 appearances with the Pelicans. When including the 24 games he played with the Raptors, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the 2024-25 campaign.

Olynyk, drafted 13th overall overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, has also suited up for the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics during his time in the association.