"We gave them a champion, and we didn't get Zion?" - Arenas isn't pleased with the Wizards' giving away Jordan Poole originally appeared on Basketball Network .
A few NBA teams always seem stuck in limbo — neither contending nor committing to a complete rebuild. While franchises like the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic have taken significant leaps by drafting their cornerstones and successfully building around them, the Washington Wizards appear to be a franchise that never seems to be in a rush to rebuild or compete.
After trading away arguably their best player, Jordan Poole , former Wizards star Gilbert Arenas didn't hold back in criticizing the organization's habit of giving up on key assets without getting real value in return.
Despite having seasoned veterans like Khris Middleton , Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart on the roster, the Wizards don't appear to be making a serious push towards contention, at least not currently. With other franchises trying to acquire quality young players, Washington readily shipped away Poole — he was set to earn $31.8 million over the following season — along with Saddiq Bey , to New Orleans in exchange for CJ McCollum , Kelly Olynyk and a future second round pick.
This move drew sharp criticism from Arenas, who questioned why the Wizards didn't at least try to go after the Pelicans' star Zion Williamson , especially when New Orleans hasn't found any success with him at the helm. To Agent Zero, this is just another classic example of how Washington remains content with bringing in players past their prime and giving up on those who can become stars in the future.
"We gave them a Jordan Poole — a champion, and we didn't get back Zion? Have they not been paying attention to the trades that's been going on and s–t that was getting?" Arenas said about Washington's propensity to always settle for less. "You gotta ask for more these days."
It's not as if the Wizards lack promising youth on their roster. With talents like Kyshawn George , Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly on their roster, there's clearly potential to build something meaningful. However, instead of developing guys with long-term playoff goals, Washington seems more focused on riding with veterans in their mid-30s, at least in Arenas' eyes.
However, what most people cannot see is that, from a financial standpoint, Washington might be moving in the right direction. Even though McCollum is set to earn $30.6 million, Middleton is entitled to $33.2 million, Smart guarantees $21.5 million and Olynyk is securing a paycheck of over $13.2 million, all of them are on expiring contracts. That means the Wizards will be looking at upwards of $80 million in cap space in the summer of 2026.
This positions them to potentially pursue a legitimate All-NBA-caliber player, or maybe even a pair of All-Stars, to finally give the franchise a new, focused direction after years of mediocrity. Nevertheless, for Arenas and the rest of the "Gil's Arena Show" crew, the Wizards' approach of never chasing glory in the present is what bothers them greatly.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
