The New Orleans Pelicans have officially announced their 2025 Summer League schedule, with their first game against the Minnesota Timberwolves scheduled for Thursday, July 10th, at 2:30 p.m. CT, on ESPN2. This first contest presents an intriguing matchup for the No. 13 pick Derik Queen as he'll be facing off against the No. 17 pick Joan Beringer.
Queen is touted as one of the 2025 class's most skilled offensive big men, while Beringer is looked at as one of the best rim-protecting bigs in the class. Beringer averaged 1.4 blocks per game while playing in Slovenia last year and was a force at the rim defensively. This will give Pelicans fans an exciting opportunity to evaluate how great Queen really is offensively, as he'll be facing a tough matchup.
Outside of Queen's matchup, the Pelicans' other two rookies, Jeremiah Fears and Micah Peavy could also have their work cut out for them. Minnesota is likely to have Jaylen Clark starting at guard, and he'll be tasked with handling Fears. This is a tough draw for the 7th overall pick, as Clark is one of the 2023 class's best defenders and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award in his final season at UCLA.
As far as Peavy's matchup goes, he'll likely be standing across from Wolves forward Leonard Miller, who commands a tone of defensive pressure. Miller stands 6'10" with a 7'2" wingspan and can space the floor but also attack the basket. This is a tall task, literally, for Peavy in his first taste of NBA action.
The Rest of the Pelicans' Summer League schedule
Outside of this matchup, New Orleans will be playing four more games in the Summer League. Saturday, July 12th, on ESPN2, they'll take on Bronny James and the Adou Thiero-led Lakers at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tuesday, July 15th, on ESPN, they'll face off against Chinese sensation Yang Hansen and the Portland Trail Blazers at 9 p.m. CT.
Wednesday, July 16th, on NBA TV, they'll matchup off with the reigning NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, at 8:30 p.m. CT. Their date and opponent of their fifth game will be determined based on their success through their first four games of the Summer League.
After every team plays their first four games, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs, beginning with a semifinal on Saturday, July 19 at 3 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. CT on ESPN. The other 26 teams that didn't make it to the four-team playoff will play a fifth game on either July 18, July 19 or July 20.