Two years after being traded by the Golden State Warriors to the Washington Wizards, Jordan Poole has once again found himself on the move as one of multiple trades made in the NBA over the past 24 hours.
Poole is now on his way to the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade centered around he and veteran guard CJ McCollum, but it's actually another less notable player who should pique the interest of the Warrior front office.
Kelly Olynyk could become a target again for the Warriors
Veteran big man Kelly Olynyk is part of yet another deal, having previously been moved by the Toronto Raptors to the Pelicans in the Brandon Ingram trade just prior to February's mid-season deadline.
The 34-year-old now adds to what is a very interesting Wizards roster that possesses a lot of young talent, yet also holds veterans like Olynyk, McCollum, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart on expiring contracts.
Given Washington's priority to develop their youth and provide as much playing time to them as possible, it's likely that the aforementioned veteran quartet find themselves on the trade block or even as potential buyout candidates.
Olynyk has been a player that the Warriors have been linked to extensively over the past 18 months, dating back to the 2024 mid-season trade deadline where they had conversations with the Utah Jazz, according to Anthony Slater of the Athletic, before the Canadian was moved to the Raptors.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report mentioned Olynyk as a name to monitor for Golden State in January, then did so again most recently last month where he also listed Nikola Vucevic and Brook Lopez as potential targets this offseason.
The Warriors need to add size and shooting, and Olynyk could still fit the bill as the options dwindle following Kristaps Porzingis' move to the Atlanta Hawks. Olynyk played reasonably well for the Pelicans in a 25-minute per game role following his arrival, averaging 10.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 50% from the floor and 38.9% from 3-point range.
While not a starting center by any means, the 6'11" big man would give Steve Kerr and Golden State some more optionality in the front court with his offensive skillset. Olynyk's expiring $13.4 million contract certainly makes him a very real trade possibility for the Warriors, though a buyout would be an even better result to ensure they don't have to give up assets in a trade.
The Wizards are set to be Olynyk's eighth team in his 12 NBA seasons, with the former 13th overall pick holding career averages of 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 48.6% shooting from the floor and 37.1% from 3-point range.