It didn't take long for the New Orleans Pelicans to regret their draft night decision to trade up 10 picks to No. 13, sending the Hawks a 2026 unprotected first-round pick in the process. The regret should've set in as soon as they did it, without considering Derik Queen's future, but it doesn't help that the rookie had surgery in mid-July to repair a torn ligament in his wrist.
Queen will most likely miss the beginning of training camp, as he'll be re-evaluated in October. He could even miss the start of the regular season.
The Pelicans need to nail the Queen draft pick, and while it's still way too early to say it was a complete mistake, it's not looking good. Atlanta has already won the trade, getting an unprotected pick that will be the more favorable between New Orleans and Milwaukee. The Hawks drafted Asa Newell at No. 23, and he impressed at summer league. Queen didn't.
His turnover issues and poor defense were red flags. Sam Vecenie, a draft expert for The Athletic, said that Queen was "probably" the worst defensive player he saw at summer league. That isn't the kind of reassurance fans wanted, considering what the Pelicans gave up to get him.
New Orleans isn't a contender, either. The Western Conference is stacked, and for the Pelicans to secure a Play-In Tournament berth, they'll need Zion Williamson to be healthy and at his best. Even that may not be enough. The pick that goes to the Hawks could wind up in the lottery. The Bucks' future isn't looking good, either.
Pelicans will regret trading up in 2025 draft and sending pick to Hawks
Queen hasn't played in an actual NBA game yet, but he's already carrying more pressure than usual for a rookie because of the expectation that was set for him when New Orleans traded up. His performance earlier this summer showed that he has a lot he needs to work on to be the star-level player that the Pelicans need him to be — an outcome that may never happen.
New Orleans believes it can bounce back after finishing with the fourth-worst record in the league in 2024-25. Dejounte Murray will miss the majority of next season, if not all of it, as he rehabs from a ruptured Achilles. The front office decided to send the pick to the Hawks anyway. Go figure!
The Pelicans will feel the real heat from their poor decision-making next May when the draft lottery is revealed. They could feel it before then if the Hawks use the pick in a trade to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo.
There is no positive spin for New Orleans; it's just a matter of waiting to see how badly the decision will age.