Former Ohio State Buckeyes Star Included in Major NBA Offseason Trade

The NBA offseason rages on. Summer League might be well underway now, but that hasn't stopped teams from making new deals, whether that be adding free agents to round out their depth or making trades to further shake up their rosters. Several swaps have already gone down ahead of the 2025-26 season, including Kevin Durant making his way to the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets bolstering their wings by swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson.

The San Antonio Spurs and the Washington Wizards just completed another trade, exchanging Kelly Olynyk for a 2026 second-round pick, Blake Wesley, and former Ohio State Buckeyes guard Malaki Branham. The focus of this deal will be the Spurs' acquisition of Olynyk, adding a versatile offensive force that can play next to Victor Wembanyama in the frontcourt.

Olynyk has never been much of a defender, but his talents on the other side of the ball shouldn't be understated. He's a legitimate big man who can handle the rock, make plays off the bounce, in the high post, or on the block, stretch the floor, and create his own offense. His presence will help alleviate some of the defensive attention and offensive burden from young star Victor Wembanyama. Vice versa, Wemby's towering reach will offset Olynyk's defensive faults.

The other side of the trade shouldn't be ignored, though. The Wizards did good work getting three fliers for an aging veteran who didn't fit their future plans in this deal.

In Wesley and Branham, Washington just added two first-round picks from the 2022 draft. In San Antonio, they were buried under more established wings such as Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Doug McDermott. They could make unexpected leaps with more opportunity in the Wizards' system.

Branham has shown some encouraging signs in his limited playing time with the Spurs. Over the last two seasons, he's averaged 7.6 points on 36 percent shooting from three in just 16 minutes per game. If he can prove that he's a viable wing defender who can knock down open triples, he should be able to earn a more significant role in Washington. From there, he might be able to become the budding shot creator that he looked to be in his lone season with the Ohio State Buckeyes.