Derik Queen entered the season with a lot more pressure than a No. 13 pick should, and that was because of the way that the New Orleans Pelicans got him. They traded up from No. 23 to No. 13, sending the Hawks their 2026 first-round pick to do so. New Orleans is 2-12, last in the West, so Atlanta will get a high lottery pick. The Pelicans can't undo that trade (if only), but there is something they can do to try to make it sting a little less.
A Zion Williamson trade needs to happen. New Orleans is on a fast track to nowhere, and Williamson has played only five games this season. He hasn't played since Nov. 2 because of a left hamstring strain.
If the Pelicans decide to make Zion available before the deadline, it would help tremendously if he could return and stay healthy. Maybe, just maybe, New Orleans could receive a 2026 first-round pick in return for him, which would make the Queen draft day trade at least look a little better.
Queen has been good, as has fellow rookie Jeremiah Fears, but it will be impossible for him to live up to the expectations this season of giving up a top pick in a stacked lottery class.
Pelicans need to see what they could get in a Zion Williamson trade
The Mavericks are sort of going through a similar situation right now. After their dumpster fire start to the season, they fired Nico Harrison, and need to build around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. That means they need to trade Anthony Davis, who has also played only five games this season. He's been out with a calf strain.
Davis and Williamson are two separate players at different stages in their respective careers, but both are injury-prone. Teams need to see both on the court before the trade deadline for them to feel good about making a trade.
The Pelicans may never be able to live down the fact that they sent the Hawks their first-round pick, and they especially won't live it down if that pick turns out to be No. 1. Regardless of what happens in the draft lottery, which is still months away, none of it has to do with Queen directly. Yes, New Orleans gave up the pick for him, but Queens didn't make that decision. It's unfair to look at him in that light.
Williamson is questionable for tonight's game against Denver, which is a good sign. Hopefully, this will be the start of a healthy next few weeks for him, not only for his own sake, but also for New Orleans.