With the 2026 offseason underway for the New Orleans Pelicans, it’s the perfect time to look back at the year prior. Last summer marked the first offseason with Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver in charge of the Pelicans, and they faced significant backlash for the moves they made. But the harshest scrutiny came from the media (myself included) following the 2025 NBA Draft, as ESPN gave New Orleans' rookie class an F grade.
The majority of the criticism stemmed from trading away an unprotected 2026 first-round pick and No. 23 overall to move up to No. 13 for Derik Queen. At the time, this was viewed as a massive overpay, and in many circles, it still is. However, many forget that New Orleans also received some backlash for selecting Jeremiah Fears at No. 7, just a couple of days after trading for Jordan Poole.
The decision to select two project players in the lottery, along with Micah Peavy at No. 40, also drew heavy criticism. But Dumars and Weaver didn’t let it discourage them, and with the three rookies’ first pro seasons coming to an end, they have flipped the script on the prior perception of the Pelicans 2025 class. In a recent Bleacher Report article, the rookie classes of all 30 NBA teams were given final grades, and New Orleans received an A.
Seeing the difference in grades from major outlets after an 82-game season should have the Pelicans' front office and fans excited about the future.
The Pelicans’ rookie class just needed time
Fears appeared in all 82 games during his rookie season and ended the year as the fourth leading scorer in the class. DQ nearly met the 82-game mark, missing just one game all season, and finished ninth in points, third in rebounds, and seventh in assists. Queen also passed DeMarcus Cousins for most assists by a rookie big this century. As far as Peavy goes, he didn’t have the counting stats of other top rookies, but every time he was on the court, his impact was felt.
Things weren’t always great—both Queen and Fears looked really raw from day one, and it was a struggle. But the development can’t be overstated. Slowly, they started to figure things out, and by the end of their rookie campaigns, they both proved New Orleans may have been one of the biggest winners of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Fears ended his rookie season, averaging 30-plus points per game over his final five games, and Queen ended the season with a 30-point, 20-rebound game.
A lot is uncertain about the Pelicans as their offseason gets underway, but Fears’ and Queen's rookie seasons should ease any worries fans have. Not only did they both flash All-Star potential, but they’re under team control for the foreseeable future. For the first time in a long time, New Orleans has genuine young talent to build around.
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