The New Orleans Pelicans’ commerce for Derik Queen through the 2025 NBA Draft is certain to be remembered as one of many defining offers of its period. At greatest, it was extremely daring; at worst, utterly reckless. Whereas not precisely Luka Doncic-for-Anthony Davis stage unhealthy, the Pelicans’ resolution to commerce their unprotected 2026 first-round decide for the suitable to draft Queen was plagued by poor course of, surrendering one of the precious future belongings within the league for transferring up 10 spots within the draft order to throw a dart on a late lottery decide. Queen’s wonderful rookie 12 months has made the deal much more fascinating, and untangling the commerce feels vital now no matter the way it works out sooner or later.
Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver had been employed to guide the Pelicans’ entrance workplace in April, and by June that they had mortgaged the crew’s future for an enormous guess on Queen. Because it seems, the Pelicans traded a number of premium picks in a loaded 2026 draft to take Queen at No. 13 total, beginning with a uncommon deal made through the 2025 NBA Finals with an energetic Finals participant.
The Indiana Pacers had been down 3-2 within the NBA Finals once they swung a commerce with the Pelicans to get their 2026 first-round decide again. Indiana had initially traded its unprotected first-rounder to Toronto for Pascal Siakam, and Toronto circled and traded it to New Orleans for Brandon Ingram. Right here’s the complete particulars of the commerce.
Pelicans get: No. 23 total decide in 2025 NBA Draft
Pacers get: Personal 2026 unprotected first-round decide
The Pelicans rightfully thought the Pacers had been set as much as be superb once more in 2025-26, however Tyrese Haliburton’s calf pressure suffered the day earlier than the commerce modified the calculus. Haliburton tore his Achilles throughout Sport 7 just a few days later, and the Pacers now had the choice of tanking in 2025-26, which is precisely what’s occurred.
For the Pelicans, the deal was all the time about transferring as much as purchase one other lottery decide through the 2025 draft. After taking Oklahoma level guard Jeremiah Fears with their very own decide at No. 7 total, the Pelicans reportedly supplied their unprotected first-rounder to each crew behind them till they bought a taker. The Atlanta Hawks accepted as soon as it reached No. 13. Right here’s the deal between the Pelicans and Hawks:
Pelicans get: No. 13 total decide in 2025 NBA Draft, used to pick Derik Queen
Hawks get: Pelicans’ unprotected 2026 first-round decide + No. 23 total decide in 2025, used to pick Asa Newell
Dumars indicated after the draft that the identical commerce was supplied to the Raptors, Suns, Path Blazers, and Bulls earlier than Atlanta took it:
Weaver has a protracted historical past of focusing on gamers from the DMV space, so it was no shock he beloved a Baltimore native and Maryland Terrapins standout like Queen. Queen has spent the early a part of his rookie 12 months rewarding Weaver’s religion, and it appears to be like like he’s going to be an superior, foundational piece for New Orleans to construct round for years. The one drawback is that the belongings the Pelicans gave as much as get him proceed to look juicier by the day.
The Pelicans are at the moment the second worst crew within the NBA with a 6-22 report. The Pacers are at the moment the fifth-worst crew within the NBA with a 6-21 report. New Orleans might have had Fears — who has additionally had a brilliant promising rookie season — with two main bites on the apple to land within the top-3 of the 2026 draft with Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and A.J. Dybatnsa ready on the prime.
The precise belongings surrendered received’t be decided till lottery evening, but it surely certain appears to be like like New Orleans’ personal decide could have a most 14 p.c likelihood of touchdown at No. 1 total, and the Pacers’ decide received’t be far behind. The method behind Dumars and Weaver’s commerce was all the time an abomination, however there’s nonetheless an opportunity the commerce might work out in New Orleans’ favor even when it most likely isn’t doubtless.
Was there a manner for New Orleans to nonetheless get Queen with out giving up a lot? I actually assume so even when it’s unattainable to say for certain.
The Pelicans ought to have supplied their unprotected 2027 decide as a substitute
The highest-3 of the 2026 draft was all the time thought-about particular nicely earlier than this faculty basketball season began. NBA groups knew for at the very least two years that Peterson, Boozer, and Dybantsa all had the expertise to be the highest total decide, making 2026 the uncommon draft the place getting No. 3 is nearly is sweet as getting No. 1. Even with Queen on the roster, the Pelicans had been nonetheless projected to be a bottom-three crew within the West with the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. In equity, the Suns have drastically exceeded expectations to maneuver into playoff place (additionally they don’t personal their 2026 draft decide), and possibly New Orleans thought it might do the identical factor. The one drawback is that given Zion Williamson’s fixed unavailability and the youth of the roster, it was all the time a nasty guess.
If the Pelicans needed to have Queen, they need to have supplied their unprotected 2027 decide as a substitute.
New Orleans’ 2027 decide continues to be unbelievable asset for Atlanta, and it might have given Queen and Fears two seasons to mature as profitable gamers earlier than New Orleans gave up management of its first-rounder. The Pelicans and Hawks are already entangled within the 2027 draft because of the Dejounte Murray commerce: New Orleans will obtain the extra favorable of its 2027 first spherical decide and the Bucks’ 2027 first spherical decide, and Atlanta will obtain the much less favorable of the 2 protected for choices 1-4. The Pelicans might have given Atlanta full management of the higher decide between themselves and the Bucks (who is perhaps with out Giannis by that point) and eradicated the protections.
Why is that higher? Sharp draft scouts have lengthy identified the 2027 is trying fairly weak up to now. Ask 5 NBA evaluators who’s going No. 1 total in 2027 proper now, and also you would possibly get 5 totally different solutions, however not in a great way. I’d most likely have Dylan Mingo at No. 1 for the time being, however he’s a number of tiers beneath the massive three in 2026. Tyran Stokes might be the front-runner for No. 1 in 2027 proper now. Duke commit Cameron Williams, Houston commit Arafan Diane, Arkansas commit J.J Andrews, Caleb Holt, and Bruce Department Jr. might additionally turn into the No. 1 total decide 18 months from now. These gamers are all fairly good younger prospects … however they’re not near Peterson, Boozer, and Dybantsa.
The Pelicans must hope their decide doesn’t land top-3
Whereas I just like the prospects behind Peterson, Boozer, and Dybantsa within the 2026 class — I’d have North Carolina ahead Caleb Wilson at No. 4 total proper now, adopted by some mixture of Kentucky huge man Jayden Quaintance, Houston level guard Kingston Flemings, and Arizona ahead Koa Peat — there’s undoubtedly an enormous drop-off after the third decide. Take a look at our newest 2026 NBA mock draft right here.
If the Hawks stroll away with the No. 4 or No. 5 decide within the lottery, there’s a great likelihood Queen will probably be higher than no matter participant goes in that spot. Positive, 10 years from now, we’ll most likely look again on the 2026 draft and say somebody drafted after No. 3 ended up higher than Queen, however giving up something after No. 3 ought to make New Orleans really feel significantly relieved.
Queen might completely be an All-Star, however his protection continues to be a difficulty
Queen is such a fascinating participant partly as a result of he has such well-defined strengths and weaknesses:
- He’s among the finest drivers you’ll ever see for somebody his measurement, listed at 6’9, 250 kilos. He can deal with the ball like a guard and create a great search for himself or his teammates out of skinny air. His huge physique permits him to play via contact, and he’s been an 80 p.c free throw shooter up to now when he’s despatched to the foul line.
- Queen is already a 78th percentile isolation scorer, posting 1.07 factors per possession with 60.4 p.c true capturing on the play sort.
- Queen’s passing was massively underrated coming into the draft, and already appears to be like superior early in his rookie 12 months.
- Queen is undersized for a middle and fairly gradual for an NBA 4.
- Queen’s protection goes to be a difficulty within the NBA. Groups desire a defensive anchor on the 5, and that’s not Queen. It’s undoubtedly attainable he might be actually good in a two-big look alongside Yves Missi or one other huge, however the numbers are at the moment fairly tough.
- Queen doesn’t shoot threes but. He’s 2-of-18 from three in his first 26 NBA video games, and he didn’t shoot threes in faculty, both.
I had Queen No. 11 on my closing 2025 huge board as a result of I used to be frightened he didn’t have any function participant fairness as a possible No-3, No-D prospect. He wanted to discover a crew that may let him rock out with the ball in his arms, and I used to be frightened there simply wasn’t many choices. It seems New Orleans has been very keen to provide the ball to Queen now that Zion Williamson has once more disillusioned, and he’s already proving that he’s going to be a killer offensive participant in an on-ball function.
EPM has Queen has a fiftieth percentile offensive participant proper now, and a fifth percentile defender. Queen can be days away from turning 21 years previous at time of publish, that means he’s fairly a bit older than the opposite one-and-done rookies from his class.
Possibly Queen will get in higher form as he ages and his protection will enhance. He’s already been a little bit higher defensively as a rookie in some areas than I assumed as a result of he can get steals and deflections together with his fast arms. Right here’s his defensive numbers so removed from NBARAPM, that are encouraging to some extent regardless of the tough all-around influence captured in EPM.
I’m nonetheless skeptical about how Queen’s protection scales on a profitable crew. Granted, having Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III subsequent to him is mainly a great match, and up to now lineups with all three have been stable.
The Pelicans had been proper to imagine in Queen’s expertise, however the means of the commerce was all the time horrendous. I wouldn’t be too shocked if, 5 years from now, the overall consensus is that the commerce wasn’t so unhealthy for New Orleans. That may require Queen to proceed trying like an absolute hoss on offense whereas exhibiting some defensive enchancment, and the decide slipping exterior of Boozer-Dybantsa-Peterson vary.
The Pelicans actually simply ought to have traded a 2027 unprotected decide as a substitute of 2026. For now, New Orleans simply has to hope that Atlanta falls within the draft, and Queen continues to look nice.
