When the 2025–26 season tipped off, it looked like this might finally be the year Zion Williamson wasn’t surrounded by trade rumors. He came into training camp in the best shape of his career and was ready to step into a leadership role. However, with him appearing in only 10 games and being sidelined for an extended period due to an abductor injury, it seems there’s no better time than now for the New Orleans Pelicans to move on from Z.
Another interesting wrinkle that suggests it’s time for the Pelicans to move on from Williamson is the emergence of rookie big man Derik Queen. This is something former Pelican and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has spoken out about, stating that he feels it’s time to move Zion to open things up for DQ.
"The Pelicans need to trade Zion Williamson ASAP, hand over the keys to Derik Queen and the kid (Jeremiah) Fears because he’s been balling as well, and go ahead and let those two grow throughout the course of the season."Kendrick Perkins
Perkins went on to say that the fans love those two and that they are the future of this team.
The league is catching up to what Pelicans fans saw early
It’s been clear since the 11th game of the season against Portland to Pelicans fans that Queen possesses the potential to be a franchise-level player for this organization. Queen really broke out in that game, scoring what at the time was a career-high 26 points. From that point on, it’s been the DQ show night in and night out.
While Pelicans fans have known for some time now that Queen is the future of this franchise, the rest of the league is finally starting to catch on. Kendrick Perkins is just one of the many NBA media personalities who are beginning to take major notice of DQ’s production and what it means for New Orleans. People like Bill Simmons, Richard Jefferson, and others have spoken extremely highly of Queen recently.
Queen also ranked third on the NBA's latest rookie ladder, as over his last five games, he has averaged 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game.
As Queen continues to shine, the long-term fit between him and Zion becomes harder to justify. Both operate and score in similar areas, and the Pelicans’ offense is only continuing to revolve around their rookie sensation more and more. With the league’s attention shifting to Queen, it is becoming clearer that the start of a new era could be coming to the Big Easy.