(The original text was published on June 25, and the author is Andy Bailey in the open-air stands. The content of the article does not represent the translator's views)

Tracking NBA news this year's offseason is simply dazzling. The draft has not yet begun, and Bain, Durant, Ju Holiday and Porzingis have all changed their goals, while Poole, McCollum and Olynick have also joined the transfer army. ESPN reporter Shams disclosed the details of the deal between the Wizards and the Pelicans: the Pelicans got Poole, Sadiq Bay, and the No. 40 pick this year; the Wizards got McCollum, Olynick and the future second round pick. Here are the winners and losers in this deal:

Winners: CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynick

For these two Pelicans veterans who are about to go to the Wizards, they are obviously winners of this deal. First and foremost, they got rid of the cruel Western Conference. Even in the Wizards, their hopes for the playoffs may be clearer than staying with the Pelicans. The East is already in weak competition, and there will be a shortage of injured stars such as Halliburton, Tatum and Lillard in the new season. Complete the transfer in the contract year is even more icing on the cake. Olynick and McCollum are both on expiring contracts in the new season, and now they will get a lot of mobile phone opportunities in the rebuilding team. Facing the Eastern Conference with weaker defensive strength, it is expected to increase personal value. This journey may make more bargaining chips for their next contract.

Loser: Jordan Poole

On the contrary, Poole had to switch to the West and join a team that had already been assigned the right to take action. Although the point guard status may give him some voice in offensive organization and ball distribution, the Pelicans will almost certainly give priority to Murphy and Zion's offensive needs. Of course, Poole was used to partnering with high-yield scorers during his time at the Warriors, but he may have adapted to the unlimited fire rights enjoyed by the Wizards, and this privilege is probably going to become a past. This is not necessarily a bad thing for most NBA players, but have you seen Poole play? This guy is a well-known shooting fanatic.

Winner: The Washington Wizards can package this deal in the short term as introducing two veteran leaders, McCollum and Olynik, to help newcomers such as Sar and Coolibaly accelerate their growth. This statement does make sense. But looking at the contracts of these two new players, it is hard not to think of the financial flexibility that the Wizards may gain next year. Both McCollum and Olynick will become full free agents in the summer of 2026, meaning that the Wizards will free up nearly $100 million in cap space by then. Although it seems that this is not the ideal place for free agents at the moment, a maximum salary contract can make any market attractive. What's more, Sal and Kulibaly have a whole year to draw a future blueprint for potential recruits. If these two show progress in the new season, some stars with strong offense and weak defense may value the defensive guarantees they provide.

Loser: The New Orleans Pelicans are not obvious losers. They may be determined to choose a rookie with the No. 40 pick, and Poole's contract amount ($34 million in the 2026-27 season) is not outrageous. Compared to McCollum and Olynick's contract expired next summer, the deal means at least some of the operational flexibility will be lost. What's more, as mentioned in the previous article, Poole is a typical scorer attribute. At the same time, it is obviously more reasonable to find a backcourt partner who prefers pass control in a team with Zion and Murphy. Dezhangtai Murray will undertake most of the organizational tasks. If McCollum is retained, Murray's offensive and defensive balance could have been more relaxed.

Original text: Andy Bailey

Compiled by: Li Taibai