As the New Orleans Pelicans gear up for the start of their 2026 Las Vegas Summer League journey, two notable names were left off the roster: Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Just a year ago, Fears and Queen were the headliners of the Pelicans' summer league group. This time around, they’ll be sitting the festivities out. This seems like the wrong decision, as while both players had strong rookie seasons, neither won Rookie of the Year nor was part of an incredibly long playoff run.
Their season ended in April, and allowing them to go until October without getting real game reps is an interesting decision.
I understand Fears played all 82 games last season, and Queen played 81 of 82, but it’s not like showing up to summer league and even just playing one or two games would’ve done any damage. I don’t doubt Jamahl Mosley and Joe Dumars haven’t put a development plan in place for both of their young stars, especially with God Shammgod as a lead assistant. However, nothing helps development more than playing at game speed and getting reps in a fully competitive environment.
Also, Shammgod is the summer league team's head coach, so Fears and Queen going to Vegas would’ve been another way to strengthen that bond and further develop that relationship.
Fears and Queen need reps
One of the main things Fears and Queen both struggled with last season was their ability to read and process the game, which is totally expected for a rookie guard and a big man with ball skills like DQ. While with time both players progressed in that part of the game, specifically Fears in the second half of last season, the summer league would have offered another opportunity to continue the natural progression to that side of their games.
Some reps at summer league also would’ve been a nice confidence booster for DQ and Fears, as while they aren’t elite NBA players yet, in a summer league context, they’d be pretty elite. Not that either player needs a confidence boost, but it wouldn’t hurt.
Another benefit of having Fears and Queen on this summer league roster would have been the impact on their teammates. When looking at this year's group, Micah Peavy is the only player on the roster who is a legit NBA player at this point, and he’s not the creator type—he’s way more of a connective piece. Both Queen and Fears are strong passers and creators, and having them on this roster would’ve given the front office a better idea of how players on the roster could fit into roles at the NBA level.
Even if it lasted only one or two games, Fears and Queen could’ve benefited from the experience, which makes not seeing them on the roster feel like a misstep by the front office.
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