10:31 pm: The trade is official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.
8:39 pm: The Pelicans and Hawks have agreed to a trade that will send the No. 13 overall pick from Atlanta to New Orleans in exchange for No. 23 overall and a 2026 first-round pick, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The 2026 first-rounder is unprotected and will be the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ picks.
The Pelicans are using that newly acquired pick to draft Maryland big man Derik Queen, per Charania (Twitter link).
Queen was highly productive in his freshman season with the Terrapins, averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes per contest across 36 total games. He helped guide Maryland to a 27-9 record and a spot in the Sweet 16, scoring 27 points in a loss to Florida.
While Queen is perhaps the most offensively gifted big man in the 2025 draft class, reports during the pre-draft process indicated some NBA evaluators had concerns about his lack of length and explosiveness, as well as some questions about what types of players he would guard on defense.
Still, he’s an intriguing addition for a New Orleans team that badly needs frontcourt depth to complement 2024 first-rounder Yves Missi and ranked last in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage this post season, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.
Reporting earlier today from Jonathan Givony of ESPN suggested the Pelicans had their eye on Queen in part to new front office executive Troy Weaver, who has “long-standing connections” to Baltimore- and D.C.-area prospects, and whose son was a graduate assistant on Maryland’s coaching staff in 2024/25.
As for the Hawks, after agreeing to trade the No. 22 overall pick to Brooklyn in their three-team Kristaps Porzingis deal, they’ll now move down 10 spots from No. 13 and end up in that range once again. They’re using that No. 23 pick on Georgia forward/center Asa Newell.
Meanwhile, the 2026 first-rounder they’re acquiring from New Orleans could end up being a valuable one. The Bucks will be missing Damian Lillard as he recovers from a torn Achilles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future in Milwaukee still isn’t a certainty, while the Pelicans are coming off a 21-win season. The most favorable of those two teams’ picks could easily land in the top half of the first round.
I wanted him on OKC as a possible replacement for IHart in the future. Solid pick for Nola.
They’re not even similar players. What makes OKC special is that they have players who can score but can be lockdown defenders. Queen will be good offensively but he’s not gonna be blocking shots or guarding guys like jokic/wemby/davis
I know he can’t defend well now, but defense is an effort skill they could have worked with him on for 2 years. I think offense is more of a threat than IHart, don’t think he can set screens like IH can.
He can def guard those guys lol what makes you think he can’t?
Where do I start? Undersized, average wingspan, 28” vertical, slow. How is he guarding any of those guys? What he has going for him is good footwork and a crafty scorer. Sorber is a better Ihart replacement.
Yea I think you’re heavily underrating Queen & misunderstanding what it takes to guard NBA bigs. Queen is strong, big & has good basketball IQ. That goes about 80% of the way to be a competent NBA big on that side of the court. By your logic Jokic/Domas/Sengun can’t guard other bigs.
Ok well the thing is according to his measurements he isnt big for his position. Domas and Sengun aren’t great defenders either and you can’t compare him to joker cause he’s bigger, stronger and has waaayyyy higher bball IQ. I’m not hating on queen cause like I said he’s going to be a good scorer but you need to understand players strengths and I thing a better comparison would be someone like Julius Randle.
Queen is a couple inches taller than Randle & is just naturally bigger and stronger. I never said he’ll be a great defender but he’s been guarding 5s his whole life. He’ll be fine. Guarding bigs isn’t just about height/length. Chet Holmgren has plenty of that but he struggles guarding 5s bc of a lack of bulk/strength. Queen’s lack of length/explosiveness will keep him from ever being an elite defender but he’ll be good enough. He has Missi, same way Chet has Hartenstein & Alpo has Steven Adams.
Alright and this whole topic started on the fact that I didn’t agree DQ is a viable replacement for Hartenstein because their games are so different. DQ will be fine in the league but my whole idea was a shot blocking/defensive center like Sorber fits better in lineups for Okc once Ihart is done. You were the one arguing that point that he could lockdown the 5 and guard guys like jokic/wemby/ Davis when that simply is not true. It’ll be bbq chicken
Holmgren excels at guarding the typical ‘5’ of todays NBA, the kind that think they are mid-range and perimeter players. He only struggles slightly against deep in the paint/back down types, of which there are few, and even then his reach generally forces them into bad shots.
As for Queen, I somewhat agree with you. I think he is quick for his body size, and his bulk will make back downs difficult. However, the NBA game is more pick and roll stuff than back downs, but the good news is I think he has quick enough feet and hands to be no worse than average against those.
So, I think you are wrong about Holmgren in a way, and mostly right about Queen. Queen got comp’ed to a more athletic and nimble version of Sheldon Williams, but I think he’s actually closer to a mid/late career Draymond Green myself. If that shows out, he is a steal.
Sorber is better next to Chet …. Queen is more like Chet once he gets in shape. Sorber is unbelievably a great pick lol …. You will see
You can trade IHart next year . Give Sorber a yr.
The room service bills at the hotels for the Pelicans are going to be legendary.
Man this is a tough one. I love getting the 1st from NOP next season but it just seems really obv that Queen is gonna be a big time player. We obv don’t need him as much bc we just got Porzingis but this guy’s 10yrs younger than KP & just would’ve fit so well. Really good return for the 13 pick tho.
Pels get a STUD in DQ. They looking really good so far in the off-season.
Didn’t know it was the most favorable of NOP’s pick & Mil’s pick. That’s some Sam Hinkie level stuff right there. I’ll gladly swap Queen for Asa Newell for the chance to short on Milwaukee’s 2025/26 season in particular. It seems sorta obv that Giannis has played his last game there. Kuzma & Scoot Porter scream lottery unless they get some serious win now pieces in return for Giannis.
The piece above says it’s unprotected, too. That could end up being a very high pick.
Yeah. This was a good move for both teams really. UGA doesn’t develop players very well, and if the Hawks can bring out Newell’s talent he could be a steal. Even if he isn’t I think they will gain a few slots in the picks alone.
Solid move for Atlanta, though one coudl argue that if they wanted to maximize the chance of competing in Trae’s walk year they might should have taken Queen themselves. I am still ok with this move though. Neweel really fits in with their athletic makeup. Long, lean, runners with quick hands that love to get out and go. I certianly hope Snyder builds his game plan around high pressure defense and running the floor.
So the cost to move up 10 spots in a strong draft is a non-protected 1st round, likely lottery pick in next year’s, even stronger draft? Nice deal for the Hawks.
Pelicans will probably be in back end of lottery.
Bucks are not going to tank this year as they don’t have their pick.
Bucks are one Giannis injury from a lottery pick, and NOL could be a total mess. They get the better of the two. This trade is insane in whats supposed to be an even more loaded draft. Like Cooper would still maybe be #1 next year, but the top 5 would go ahead of 2 or 3 for sure.
He wont. I bet it.
Are those protected picks? NO or Bucks could be a top 10.
Unprotected, and the better of the two is the one that goes.
Queen is the ROY ….. book it.
Now if they could only dump Zion …. I give him away right now …..
LMAO he won’t even finish top 3 in ROY voting. Book it.
Troy Weaver is not good at this
Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears are two really nice draft picks by Joe Dumars
Not when you already have Zion. Queen and Zion occupy the same part of the court and are a horrible fit together. They gave up an insanely good asset to draft a redundant fit.
NOP had a great night, adding 2 starter caliber players to their core. Fears lasting to #7 was a gift. Queen, I have questions about as a C, but NOP is a real good fit (as he complements Missi).
NOP had a terrible night. Giving up an unprotected 2026 1st which could easily be a lottery pick just to move up 10 spots is insane. Giving up that pick to move up and grab Flagg or Harper is one thing. Giving up that pick to draft Queen is entirely another. That was one of the worst NBA trades we’ve seen in a while.
LMAO. Speak for yourself. I accept that you think it’s one of the worst trades that you’ve seen in a while. But more astute observers re: the history of draft day trades of current for remote picks would see it as normal.
Strange, we all thought some east teams might push the gas peddle and it’s been New Orleans Memphis and Portland so far
Lotta risk here from NO, I’m guessing they were super pumped on Queen and had him as a top 10 on their own draft board
Team has certainly gotten more athletic the last 48 hrs
No doubt that they might have given up a pick that would yield a potentially better player than Queen next year. But it’s a “might” and a “potentially” and, in this instance, it bothers me less than in most because NOP are not really a typical rebulding team; the circumstances of their lottery status are unlikely to be repeated. MIL isn’t yet either. In any event, the NOP roster is past the piece collection stage. The soft underbellies (yes, two bellies) of roster were the unreliability at PG (Murray’s injury status) and inside/big scoring (where Zion provides more drama than GPs). Fears and Queen are rookies, but should within a year should sure that up. Their physical makeup will also allow Dumars to reshape the team more in his image. I expect #40 to be along those lines as well.
All good, of course, until Giannis gets hurt, and Rivers foregos coaching (without resigning) to spend the year writing a paper explaining why nothing that happened (or might happen thereafter) was or will be his fault. Then its a horrible trade, and ignore my first paragraph.