The San Antonio Spurs have acquired Kelly Olynyk from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick. The pick will be the least favorable among the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.
Olynyk provides the Spurs with a solid third-string veteran big man option. He can still produce offensive value with his ability to space the floor and pass, but his defense has tailed further the last few years.
He spent last season with both the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans.
Luke Kornet was signed by the Spurs as a free agent and will serve as the primary backup big.
For the Wizards, it’s another move that takes a flier on young players who haven’t received much opportunity. Cam Whitmore was recently acquired in a trade from the Houston Rockets and should see a spike in playing time.
Both Branham and Wesley are just 22 years old.
Spurs Shore Up Front Court With Olynyk Addition
Looking past the reasons already listed above, Olynyk fits the bill of having another body and mind who knows what it takes to make the postseason. The Canadian has played in meaningful playoff games and Olympic games, including against Victor Wembanyama last summer. That will serve a young team on the rise well.
The players San Antonio will look toward for veteran leadership now feature De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Olynyk. Chris Paul’s departure certainly leaves a hole in that regard. Beyond the players, former head coach Gregg Popovich moving from the sidelines to the front office is also a loss.
Looking at the Spurs’ rotation, it’s not filled with 3-point shooting. That is a potential weakness Olynyk can help address. Of course, he can only help mitigate it to the extent his likely limited playing time will allow.
The 34-year-old also provides a bit of optionality to the Spurs as he could figure in two-big lineups alongside Wembanyama and complement the Frenchman’s skill-set quite well.
San Antonio gives up players who won’t factor into the rotation. It gains a player who can be a meaningful contributor even without playing time.
Grade: B
Wizards Have Clearer Sense Of Direction
Dare I say the Wizards are starting to offer some intrigue? For years, this has been a rudderless franchise with young players who offer scant upside.
Looking at the roster now, Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr could be legitimate building blocks, and there are young players who at least offer legitimate curiosity.
Will Riley is another player picked in the first round of this year’s Draft. Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George will look to build off solid rookie campaigns. Whitmore, as mentioned previously, could thrive in a new environment with consistent playing time.
Bilal Coulibaly offered some thrills but had his 2024-25 season derailed by injury. Branham and Wesley were the 20th and 25th picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, respectively.
The Wizards currently have enough veterans in Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart and CJ McCollum. Olynyk would have been surplus. They’ve made a smart move dealing him away for pieces who possibly offer some long-term potential.
Grade: B+
