Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

San Antonio Spurs Acquire Kelly Olynyk in Multi-Player Deal with Washington Wizards

Last NBA season, Olynyk played 20 games for the Pelicans, averaging 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade center Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs in a deal that involves Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft , according to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday, July 8. According to the NBA insider, the second-round pick sent to the Wizards will be the least favorable among those belonging to the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/JWiOF2nzq2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2025

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What Olynyk Brings to Spurs? Will He Bolster Spurs Rotation in NBA 2025-26?

At 34, Kelly Olynyk never even played for the Wizards. The center had been acquired in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, in a deal that also involved CJ McCollum and Jordan Poole, prior to the 2025 Draft.

Last NBA season, Olynyk played 20 games for the Pelicans, averaging 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds. Prior to that, he played 24 games for the Toronto Raptors. His limited appearances were due to a heel injury that required surgery.

Despite this, the Canadian center drew attention for his excellent shooting performance: 50% accuracy on field goals and an excellent 41.8% on three-pointers (1.8 attempts per game). In the last three years, he converted 41% of his shots in catch-and-shoot situations , a statistic that keeps him relevant as a big with a good shooting hand.

Updated Spurs Lineup:

De’Aaron Fox
Stephon Castle
Devin Vassell
Harrison Barnes
Victor Wembanyama

Dylan Harper
Julian Champagnie
Keldon Johnson
Carter Bryant
Jeremy Sochan
Kelly Olynyk
Luke Kornet

All I see is a NASTY 12-Man rotation. This feels like 2014 again.
— Matt Rodriguez (@notmattaast) July 9, 2025

In San Antonio, Olynyk will be playing for his eighth team in his 12-year NBA career. Since the 2020-21 season, he has played for eight different teams and is now looking for stability on the Spurs roster.

Versatile, the player can play both power forward and center, but he’ll need to compete for minutes with key players on the Texans roster. At the No. 4 spot, he’ll compete with youngsters Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and veteran Harrison Barnes.

At No. 5, Olynyk joins newly signed Luke Kornet and star Victor Wembanyama, considered the franchise’s top prospect and one of the NBA ‘s most promising centers.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Kelly Olynyk

San Antonio Spurs

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.