Headlined by an aggressive move to draft Derik Queen with the 13th pick, the New Orleans Pelicans were given a low grade by ESPN when assessing their offseason roster moves.
The Pelicans traded the 23rd pick (Asa Newell) and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for the draft rights to Queen. The deal has been widely criticized, with one executive telling The Athletic that it was the worst trade outside of Luka Dončić in the last decade.
The organization, led by new president Joe Dumars, also drafted Jeremiah Fears with the seventh pick, acquired Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey from the Washington Wizards and signed free agent Kevon Looney. The moves received a failing grade from Kevin Pelton.
Grade: F
The Hawks-Pelicans draft-night swap was seemingly the most lopsided transaction of the summer. It could pay off for New Orleans, but it was far too risky to be sensible — particularly in the context of the Pelicans’ other moves. New Orleans is betting on Jordan Poole being a playoff-caliber starting point guard and has overloaded its depth chart at center by drafting Derik Queen and signing veteran Kevon Looney.
Queen was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Maryland, averaging 16.5 points, nine rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 36 games on 52.6% shooting from the field. He helped lead the Terrapins to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016.
Dumars and the front office highly valued Queen in the draft and believe he can step in and contribute at a high level. He defended their decision to take him, stating: “I’ve been doing this for way too long to give credence to naysayers.”
Queen debuted with the Pelicans in the NBA Summer League, averaging 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one block. Though he is expected to be sidelined for three months with a wrist injury, the team is eager to get him on the court and seemingly has no regrets over its recent moves.