Every time the Wizards play one of the Pelicans, Hawks, or Clippers, losing is actually a good thing. Every loss against them improves the odds of Washington selecting first in the draft, and it decreases the other teams' odds of being in the lottery.

Both the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans may be without multiple key players in Friday night's matchup.

Queen notched his second triple-double of the season finishing with 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists. After recording his second triple-double, Queen joined Chris Paul as the only two rookies in franchise history to record multiple triple-doubles in a season. It was a homecoming game for Queen and he did not disappoint.

Derik Queen recorded his second career triple double to lead the New Orleans past the Washington Wizards to end 9-game losing streak.

While Murphy III has continued to play at a high level for the Pelicans, his efforts haven't translated into a win since December 22, when he scored 11 points in a 119-113 victory against the Mavericks. He's averaging 34.5 points on 53.3% shooting, including 40.6% from deep, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his last two games for the Pelicans.

The only player not to miss a game this season for the Pelicans is rookie Jeremiah Fears. Jordan Poole, Zion Williamson, and Herb Jones all missed over 15 games. Add the fact that Dejounte Murray has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from an Achilles rupture, and the Pelicans' place in the standings shouldn't come as a surprise.

Ja Morant's name is being brought up in trade rumors again, but this time there might be some actual momentum behind it. The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly open to trade offers on the All-Star guard, per ESPN, a change in tune after initial reports surfaced in November of a possible divorce between the franchise and their prized player.

Wizards GM Will Dawkins addressed his trade for Trae Young as a no-brainer for his team's future. Dawkins thanked CJ McCollum and Corey Krispert for their time with the organization, while welcoming Young to the District with open arms.

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly planning on retaining Zion Williamson and several other key players ahead of the 2026 trade deadline.