The New Orleans Pelicans were active during the 2025 NBA Draft as they traded their own pick.
The New Orleans Pelicans originally had the No. 23 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, the Pelicans moved up to the No. 13 spot.
How? Well, they engaged in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks for the 13th pick. In exchange, they gave up the 23rd pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks.
NOLA did so to add Maryland center Derik Queen to the roster. Speaking of which, Queen seems elated at the prospect of sharing the court with Zion Williamson.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesDerik Queen is ready to pick Zion Williamson’s brain
The Pelicans are seemingly going all-in to build a contending roster around Williamson for the 2025-26 NBA season. After all, they have already traded CJ McCollum to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole.
Trading up to get Queen seems like another move made to improve the roster around Zion. For what it’s worth, Queen seems to be over the moon after getting traded to the Pelicans, and Williamson is a big reason why.
“With Zion, when he’s playing, he’s very dominant. He’s a killer. I can’t wait to talk to him, and excited to be his teammate,” Queen said during an interview, h/t ASAPText..
“Can’t wait to talk to him, pick his brain, ask him questions about the game. He’s probably going to have me doing rookie duty.
“But just excited to have him as a teammate. He’s been an All-Star, so he’s done it. We’ve got the same agent, so it’s all going to work out,” the former Maryland center added.
Did the New Orleans Pelicans make a risky trade?
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
More often than not, it’s hard to give a verdict on draft night trades until the players involved have spent some time in the NBA.
After all, that’s when experts can judge the teams. However, in the case of the Pelicans trading up for Queen, Nick Wright has already given his verdict.
The NBA analyst feels this was the ‘most reckless draft day trade’ of the last five years. Now, that’s a hard verdict.
Despite the noise, Pelicans VP of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars defended the controversial move. Dumars feels Queen is a high-IQ player with the mentality of a guard as a 6’10” center.
But again, only time will tell if this move was risky or pays off for the Pelicans because they are in desperate need of a talented second-star alongside Zion.