New Orleans Pelicans Draft Derik Queen Amid Trade Criticism

Derik Queen was selected 13th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks but was immediately traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, who moved up ten spots by giving up the 23rd pick and a 2026 first-round pick. Queen quickly embraced his new role by updating his LinkedIn profile to announce his position as a professional basketball player with the Pelicans, a move that drew widespread attention and praise for its modern professionalism. The Pelicans also drafted Oklahoma point guard Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 and showed strong interest in Queen during the pre-draft process, with Pelicans GM Troy Weaver having a connection through his son who was a student-assistant at Maryland. Queen had a standout freshman season at Maryland, averaging 16.5 points, 9 rebounds, and over 1 block per game, earning Freshman of the Year honors and First-Team All-Big Ten recognition. Despite some criticism from analysts like Bill Simmons, who called the trade for Queen one of the "top five dumbest trades of this decade," the Pelicans and Queen are optimistic about his impact on the team. Queen expressed excitement to prove his worth and bring a winning mentality to New Orleans.