The 2025 NBA draft has officially concluded, and it was a disaster for the Pelicans. The worst move of this draft for New Orleans wasn't taking Jeremiah Fears at No. 7, although that was questionable. It wasn't reaching on Micah Peavy at No. 40; instead, it was trading their most valuable asset in a 2026 first-round pick (the more favorable of New Orleans and Milwaukee) to the Atlanta Hawks.
New Orleans traded this pick along with the No. 23 selection for the No. 13 pick to select Derik Queen out of Maryland. Even though trading up for Queen is a problem in itself, as he is a ball-dominant post player with minimal defensive potential. It's more about what they gave up, as that 2026 first-round pick is one of the most valuable trade chips in the entire NBA.
Keeping this pick would've given the Pelicans a way to get involved in any Giannis Antetokounmpo trade if he decides to ask out of Milwaukee. As for the Bucks to feel comfortable in entering a rebuilding phase, they would likely want to retain their draft pick next season.
Even if they don't enter a rebuild, the Bucks are over $55 million over the salary cap and will have to get really creative to bring in talent this summer. With Damian Lillard likely to miss the 2025-26 season due to an Achilles injury, Milwaukee could be positioned towards the bottom of the NBA.
The Pelicans have no room for error next season
After trading away a first-round pick of this much value, the Pelicans' fan base would have expected a significant return. Instead, they lost out on the opportunity to select Asa Newell, a dream fit with the Pelicans, and ended up with Derik Queen. Making this move not only means New Orleans loses the chance to have the Bucks' 2026 first-round pick, but also their own, as they had the rights to swap for the higher pick out of the two teams.
This gives the Pelicans an extremely low margin for error in what is a stacked Western Conference. We saw in the 2024-25 season that the Pelicans are an injury-prone squad, and those injuries can accumulate, potentially leading to a projected playoff team finishing with a 21-win record. So, trading away the chance of having your draft pick in 2026 is a significant gamble by Joe Dumars.
Trading two first-round picks to move up just 10 spots, especially with the value that this 2026 first-round pick holds, is a horrible decision by the Pelicans. It's even worse when you consider that the prospect they did all this to trade up is a questionable fit with your star player, Zion Williamson, as both guys demand post touches and need the ball to be effective. For now, Pelicans fans play the waiting game, but something tells me this won't age well.