CJ McCollum next to Jordan Poole Feb 14, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) passes the ball against Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
By Reice Shipley on

Both the New Orleans Pelicans and the Washington Wizards are in desperate need of a franchise-changing player to turn their misfortunes around. It’s unclear whether Tuesday’s trade between the two teams did that. But it very much shook up the immediate future of both organizations.

Jordan Poole led the Washington Wizards in scoring this past season, improving from 17.4 points per game in his first year with the Wizards to 20.5 points per game this past season.

Meanwhile, CJ McCollum has been a steady contributor for the Pelicans for years now, averaging 21.1 points per game this past season for New Orleans.

Both players have been impactful on an individual level. But neither have had all that much team success as far as their respective teams.

On Tuesday, the Pelicans agreed to a trade that will see the two players swapped for another another. New Orleans will get Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Meanwhile, the Wizards will receive McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick.

Maybe a shake-up to the core of both teams could be exactly what both teams need to compete in their respective conference. But either way, the trade did create waves amongst NBA fans on social media, who weighed in on who potentially won the deal.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley