Apr 2, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Trevor Booker (35) shoots the ball as Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk (41) defends in the first quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Wizards Brace for Uneasy Matrimony with Former Foe

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 2:00 PM ET

If you ask most Washington Wizards fans what the most painful on-court moment that they've endured from the team over the last decade, most will have the same answer: "Game 7 Kelly Olynyk."

The still-seething hatred is a relic of a different time and a different team, the last time the Wizards were actually good.

They've gone a long 46 years since they last made the conference finals, the worst drought of anyone who's ever made it that far to begin with, with their last real chance arriving in 2017, when all that stood between them and a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers was a plucky Boston Celtics team lacking Washington's star power or depth.

Bradley Beal ascended into the star he'd eventually become in that battle of a second round series and John Wall had his last great Wizards moment in Game 6, but the Celtics ruled the day in Game 7. Specifically, reserve center Olynyk eliminated the Wizards by himself, setting a standard for the out-of-nowhere role player game that can suddenly end a season with a playoff career-high 26 points from off the bench that he's still yet to top nearly a decade later.

Kelly Olynyk's G7 vs the Wizards (2017):

26 points
4 rebounds
4 assists
10-14 FG

Sent them to the ECFpic.twitter.com/CP5jKN0Q3K https://t.co/ydATW9uwyq
— x - Jays Enthusiast (@gReenbean_26) June 22, 2024

And now, one of the league's most notable Wizards killers is a Wizard.

He and CJ McCollum were sent from the New Orleans Pelicans as compensation for the Jordan Poole trade, a future-oriented moved that shocked the Washington fan base in suddenly moving off of the face of the team.

That surprise soon shifted to disgust for some resentful fans, as they now have to accept a player who sent them into a perpetual state of middling. They've since pulled the plug on the perennial hunt for the #8 seed since they started taking the rebuild seriously, and Olynyk shouldn't factor too much into their immediate on-court plans.

He, like McCollum, is on an expiring contract, making him another low-risk option for someone else to potentially take a chance on later in the season in providing Washington with another way to net more picks.

Olynyk entered journeyman status not long after his big day against the Wizards preparing to suit up for his eighth NBA team in the Wizards, but remains a productive player. He shot 50% from the field and over 41% from 3-point range between fragmented stints with the Toronto Raptors and Pelicans in 2024-25, and passes pretty well for a big man.

He profiles as another steady veteran presence alongside McCollum, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart on the otherwise-developing Wizards with productivity to offer on the court and as an asset; the ball's in the Wizards fans' court as to whether they want to accept their old thorn.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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