The Wizards ideas are very clear, but the Pelicans operations are a bit unpredictable?

According to reports from ESPN authoritative journalist Shams Charania, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Washington Wizards have reached a deal. The Pelicans sent CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to the Wizards, and received Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the second-round 40th pick in this year's NBA Draft.

McCollum will pay $30.67 million next season, next season is his contract year, his contract will expire next summer; Olynick's salary next season is $13.45 million next season, next season is his contract year, and his contract will expire next summer. Poole's contract will expire in the summer of 2027. His salary for next season is $31.85 million, his salary for the 2026-27 season is $34.04 million, and he will have 3.75 million uneasy bonuses in the next two years. Beer's contract will expire in the summer of 2027. He will have 6.12 million in the next season, and his salary for the 2026-27 season is $6.44 million, and he will have 330,000 and 350,000 uneasy bonuses in the next two years. It is equivalent to the Pelicans who exchanged two contracts for two contracts that will expire in two years, but relatively speaking, they have also saved some wage expenses through this deal, while the Wizards have obtained two contracts for expiration, and they will make more room this summer.

From the perspective of the Wizards, the purpose of their transaction is actually very clear, to get a contract that expires and to free up a lot of salary space next summer. Next summer, in addition to McCollum and Olynik, the contracts of Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart are also about to expire. The total salary of these players alone has reached about $100 million. In this case, the Wizards may also become the biggest buyer in the free market next summer. If some of their rookies can improve their abilities and make breakthroughs next season, in the 2026-27 season, the Wizards may become a potential dark horse in the East.

From the Pelicans' perspective, they should still hope to fight again next season. Poole is younger than McCollum and still has some potential to tap. Giving him more ball rights and support may have the opportunity to further play his talents. As for Bei, although he has missed the entire season due to injury, with his performance in previous seasons, he should be able to play a role as a rotation player. The completion of this deal also indicates that the Pelicans hope to rebound in their record next season. The Wizards' ideas are very clear, but the Pelicans' ideas seem a bit incomprehensible. The Pelicans' record this season is a mess, and Dejounte Murray is unable to return to the team for a short period of time. The existing lineup has proven that it lacks sufficient competitiveness. In this case, a player like Poole who has no substantial improvement in function and strength than McCollum does not seem to have much impact on the team's performance. What's more, the Pelicans originally had two expiring contracts, but now the expiring contract has become a non-expired contract, which will also affect the team's reconstruction and long-term development. If the Pelicans really want to improve their competitiveness, should they also consider getting stronger players? If they don't want to improve their competitiveness, why do you need to complete this deal? Just to save 3 million in salary?