The San Antonio Spurs keep retooling the roster around Victor Wembanyama. On Tuesday, new team president Gregg Popovich dealt Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran center Kelly Olynyk, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
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
Olynyk, 34, has played on six teams in his last five seasons. That fact obscures his generally positive impact. In fact, Olynyk can put up significant numbers when afforded the freedom and the playing time. He probably won't feature heavily in the Spurs rotation, but as a backup with a bit of positional flexibility in the frontcourt, this feels like a savvy addition.
For Washington, it's as simple as stockpiling youth and saving money. Branham and Wesley both saw their usage decline last season and with Dylan Harper joining the roster, those opportunities were bound to dry up even further. Neither will be a priority in Washington, but there will be more available reps as the season goes on and the Wizards' tank efforts intensify.
Spurs stand to benefit from Kelly Olynyk's presence in the frontcourt.
Olynyk has lost a step in recent years, but he's still an impactful presence on the floor — especially on offense. Very few bigs, even in this modern league, can move and pass quite like Olynyk. He's a confident and efficient 3-point shooter with smooth face-up handles and a sharp eye for playmaking. Whether he's operating at a hub at the elbow or slinging passes on the move, Olynyk is one of the more entertaining backup centers to watch in the NBA.
San Antonio has already revamped its frontcourt rotation around Victor Wembanyama, chiefly through the signing of Luke Kornet to a four-year, $41 million contract. Kornet is a towering rim protector and another stretchy five on offense; Olynyk won't protect the rim so much, but he's still mobile enough to share the floor with either Wemby or Kornet in larger lineups.
Branham and Wesley are real assets for the Wizards — especially Branham — but between Harper, Fox and Castle, there won't be too many available minutes in the backcourt moving forward. It's just the truth of the situation.
Wizards convert an expiring veteran into two talented young guards
This is an easy win for the Wizards. While Branham and Wesley were not particularly prominent in San Antonio's present or future plans, both are 22 years old and under contract through next season at less than $5 million annually. Olynyk, by comparison, will make $13.5 million next season, meaning Washington saved cap space in addition to getting younger and adding a draft pick.
Washington's backcourt is a bit crowded right now, but it's only a matter of time until Marcus Smart and CJ McCollum are traded or waived. From there, the opportunities should open up for Branham and Wesley.
Branham started 61 games over his first two seasons in San Antonio before his role got slashed in 2024-25. Wesley has fewer meaningful reps under his belt, but like Branham, he's a former first-round pick with plenty of untapped potential. Neither figures to emerge as a star in Washington, but if Branham and Wesley can develop into useful bench guards, that is a huge positive for the Wiz.