BREAKING: PELICANS LAND JORDAN POOLE IN NEW TRADE!

BREAKING: PELICANS LAND JORDAN POOLE IN NEW TRADE!

breaking news we have a trade we’ve been saying it will be the summer of trades around the NBA and so far it is living up to the billing this time it’s the Wizards and Pelicans getting in on the action and maybe a little bit of a head scratcher of a deal i’m Trevor Lane this is the Basketball Bulletin hit that subscribe button right now way too many of you watching this are not actually subscribed if that’s you fix it hit that subscribe button joining me is Donnie Freeman i CJ McCullum Kelly Olen from the Pelicans plus a future second to the Wizards for Jordan Pool Sadique Bay and the 40th pick in the draft i guess I didn’t actually know Bay was in the deal i didn’t see his name probably driving he’s in there uh this is I I think bottom line this is the Pelicans get the getting younger but the Wizards are clearing salaries faster and I think in this deal I want these salaries off my books the as quickly as I can and so that’s what I like about this deal for the Washington Wizards yeah absolutely well the the thing I got to say is my first assessment of the Wizards is that they’ve got this retirement home thing and in the works what is going on with that they keep on they keep on getting in on all these guys i’m surprised they didn’t trade for Drew Holiday actually I don’t want to I don’t want to say that drew I expect to still be really good this year but yeah they’ve been getting all these guys right like Chris Smart they’ve been I don’t know but it’s cool because they’re able to get that flexibility you know sooner than later because Smart comes off the books Milton comes off the books like they’re positioning themselves for a pretty big off season next year right yeah the summer of 2026 so that’s what this deal is all about from the Washington Wizards look at Jordan P’s contract has two more years on it whereas if we go take a look at CJ McCullum he’s an expiring contract and so that’s what this is about it’s not so much about getting CJ McCullum if you’re the Washington Wizards who do take on some money for this year in the deal but it’s about getting guys that expire in 2026 same thing with Kelly Oletic 13.4 million so that’s about $44 million uh coming into Washington and then no one on the books really next year yeah exactly they they’re going to have a really clean cap sheet you’ve got Jordan Pool now gone you’re going to have Alexar Bal Koulali Sadique Bay gone Cory Kisper will still be there bob Kerry it’s your young guys and that’s about it on the books here so I like that element of this for Washington now you do give up the younger players in in Jordan pool and you give up a guy like like Sadiq Bay is just 26 years old and again you are saving a little bit of money because you’ve got about uh or or taking on a little bit of money from the Washington perspective because you’re taking in about 44 million and only giving up what is that about 40 or 37 38 million that you’re actually sending out so you take on a little bit of money here if you’re Washington you hardcap yourself at the first apron not a big deal for them anyway and it wouldn’t shock me Donnie to see some of these guys move to teams that it could be mid-season but Chris Middleton Marcus Smart CJ McCullum it’s nice to have adults in the in the locker room it’s nice to have guys who can provide that kind of veteran stability and security and knowhow and all of that and Kelly Oen fits that mold too but Donnie I I think that Washington this is just the start and these guys these veterans that that are on expiring contracts I would be surprised if they all finish the season on the Wizards yeah there’s there’s no chance they’re all on the roster to end the season even even a guy like Corey Kisspert I like him but I’ I’d look at him as potentially somebody they may move on from too um and maybe they just go in a super duper youth movement he’s still he’s only 26 but so is Pool and Bay right so uh I would look at him as well but yeah I would even a guy like Rishawn Holmes we haven’t brought him up but like all these guys are guys that could potentially be flipped you know by the deadline and if you’re like a Middleton or if you’re a smart if you could get out there show that you’ve got it still play some good ball stay healthy there’s a really good chance that by the deadline a team is is calling for you and so if you’re Washington you’re really hoping that teams are calling for some of these guys who can ideally get back assets even and even maybe it’s a team that just wants flexibility as well like you know with a bigger salary off their books or something like that you know maybe the Wizards are willing to take back a little bit of something the following season that’s not going to impact them too much at the expense of getting an asset so and and I’ll say good on them for moving Jordan Pool who for a little while there looked like he was going to be an untradable contract has two years remaining on his deal at about 65 million but you look at what he put up last season was actually a really strong season for him a nice bounce back 21 points per game four and a half assists shot 38% from three 43% from the field but took some really tough shots so had a pretty nice season uh last year to Jordan Pool and now you were able to flip him when a year ago it looked like they were probably never going to get off of that contract so that I think that was a smart move there and if you’re the Pelicans you know I like it less for the Pelicans honestly because I would have valued the future flexibility more but clearly what the Pelicans are going for is hey we get another younger guy 26 years old in Sadique Bay but this is about getting Jordan P a guy who’s dynamic certainly more dynamic right now than C jim McCullum much much younger and then he can be part of our backcourt i just question long term i know Dejante Murray is recovering unfortunately from from the Achilles tear yeah hopefully he comes back mid-season but let’s say Deontay Murray gets back to fingers crossed he gets back to being himself do you like a Dejonte Murray Jordan pool backcourt cuz I’m pretty iffy on that uh in theory I think you could like it but you need a couple things you need Murray to obviously go back to being himself you need for P to continue um being who he was last year and not the year prior right um and then you need Murray specifically to really go back to like San Antonio Murray because you need him to be your POA guy you need him to be a defensive demon right you know he kind of came here and wasn’t or to Atlanta really and hasn’t been able to be that exact same guy um but I kind of like it in theory but there’s a lot of like I don’t know ball usage there but it’s not all too different than it was if it was McCollum and and uh in that spot as well right yeah I mean that’s that’s true but the difference is see Jim McCollum his contract expires i mean he hasn’t fit I think for the last couple of seasons with the Pelicans he’s on an expiring contract and now you’re taking on money into that next 2026 2027 season as well now you have some other guys on the books there dejante Murray you’ve got Herb Jones and maybe Herb Jones is the piece that makes this work because he is such a dynamite defensive player trey Murphy is certainly an interesting wing too you’ve stacked up a bunch of guys that are similar in age when you look at Herb Jones Trey Murphy Jordan Pool Zion you know you’ve got all these guys that are in their mid20s Dejonte Murray and so it’s an interesting collection of talent well they’re just going for it right that’s I think P is a we’re going for it piece that’s what it is for sure they’re they’re going for it but what is the ceiling on going for what does that look like is that just make the playoffs and maybe that’s good enough because that’s what I project as the ceiling for this group right now barring some other moves they’re already rumored to be out there looking for a big maybe they’ll pick one up in the draft uh I believe they have the seventh pick in this year’s draft so and they have 23 as well so they could land a big in the draft but I just don’t see the overall ceiling for this team but again there may be more moves coming here for New Orleans yeah the ceiling hinges on Zion that’s what it is because if you told me you had a and this is the the theoretical Zion for forever but if you had a healthy Zion and if you’re we look at his his games play and all that stuff this should be an up year for Zion he should be healthy this year based on like the fact he always goes healthy not healthy healthy not healthy so if you’re betting on him um I think that that’s a possibility you’ve also got you know Murray potentially coming back but there’s a lot of question marks here maybe um Trey Murphy takes another step forward and like if you told me you had those guys Jones Missy with another year in there some of the other guys that they’ve got you’re adding pool I I think they could be a really feisty you know mid20s younger team and way better exactly well they’re well the that’s pretty low it’s a low bar right low bar but that was injuries right they were hurt right but the problem is that they’re in the West and it’s just so competitive um but if they are a mid-40s win team make the play in low low tier playoff team they could be a tough out if they make it in are the Pells better just if everyone’s healthy are they a better team now after doing the trade or were they better before the trade if everyone on the roster is healthy i’d say I’d say yeah I’d say better now yeah I I think I’m there too i I agree i think Jordan Pool has been good enough to make me say “Okay I I’ll give Jordan Pool an edge over an aging CJ McCullum what you can get out of Sadi Sadique Bay.” But the fact that it’s even a question like they have to be better now based on the fact that they’re taking on the longer term money and in the Western Conference you’re right teams are going for it if the Pelicans are indeed better the Blazers I think got better i don’t I hate the move for them the Drew Holiday move but I do think it made them better the Houston Rockets got better with Kevin Durant the Western Conference is going to be insane Donnie we are legitimately talking 14 teams at least and we’ll see what Utah does that are going to be uh pushing for the playoffs that are at least are going to come into the season with the goal of making the playoffs and Utah might try to get into that mix too god the West is the West is going to be an absolute battle this season sounds like Portland is in that mix as well like it’s going to be really tough but I think I think P is is the the swing factor here for for them because you know when you dig into it I mean he’s he’s bringing a level of shotmaking to this team that they just didn’t have i mean he’s taking nine threes a game a lot of those are extremely tough and he shot 38% on those he only played 29 minutes and put up 20 points per game you know on 43% field goal 38% there 88 free throw right so I’m sure he’s got a pretty high uh true shooting and all that stuff if you care more about that but you know he’s bringing a level of playmaking to this team that you know it the statistics look similar to CJ but just the way that they go about it I think he’s he’s going to bring a dynamic to this team that they didn’t have uh based on the way that he likes to score and I think that’s going to open the floor out a lot for a guy like Zion to get to the rim more and be better and more effective downhill which he didn’t need any help at all doing no like so I mean hey the more you can open up the lane for Zion the more he is just going to crush so I ultimately that’s all it comes down to right the Pelicans season can Zion stay healthy or not that that’s the the most important thing for for the Pel but all this other stuff in the margins certainly matters can Trey Murphy take another step what does Jordan Pool look like can he fit in there but um I I get the move from the Pel standpoint but again I think overall if I had to grade out the deal I like this better for the Wizards simply because they get the expiring money sooner are you there with with me Donnie or do you think the Pelicans win the streak yeah I think I agree with you there but that’s also just a little bit of bias because I think we both think the Pelicans probably should just be trying to retool or rebuild anyway right i think retool is the right word i I think the Pelicans should be adding pieces i think the Pelicans are better than they were last season i just don’t know that this changes them enough and maybe there’s more coming so I do want to you know reserve that but I don’t changes them enough these guys are 24 25 26 there’s going to be some internal growth you’re going to by by extension by being healthier you’re going to be better just with that right so like I But I think it’s important also to recognize that not every team is trying to go championship like I don’t think they have title aspirations right now like they’re they’re just they’re in the development in the transitionary period and and so for them simply making the playoffs or you know being a five six seed is probably a really really good season so yeah if they just say “Hey we want to be in the mix next season if that’s the goal for for now.” Okay all right i I could see them certainly accomplishing that but again everyone in the West right now is saying that we want to be in the mix we want to be be fighting for it and and I hope the Pelicans can stay healthy this year but Washington makes the room makes the move they they’re a team to watch next summer now with tons of flexibility and I do think these veterans they’ve got are probably going to get flipped at least a few of them marcus Smart a guy the teams will be interested in maybe Chris Middleton of course CJ McCollum these are players the teams will be calling them about so I don’t think Washington is done here washington may hold them until the trade deadline but they’ve got more moves to make and the Pelicans it could be an interesting draft right one of the teams heavily rumored to be trying to move up in the draft by stacking a couple of picks together so we’ll see what they can do there but everybody make sure you do subscribe right here to the channel turn on those notifications we’ll keep you up to date on everything going on around the NBA in a very very busy uh season till next time everybody see you and stay safe

In todays video Donnie Freeman and Trevor Lane cover the new trade from the Wizards and Pelicans!

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