The New Orleans Pelicans executed a potentially risky trade to acquire Maryland center Derik Queen at No. 13, sacrificing long-term flexibility for immediate roster improvement. Executive Vice President Joe Dumars orchestrated the trade while also acquiring Jordan Poole from the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
The Pelicans sent the No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round selection to the Atlanta Hawks to move up 10 spots for Queen. They also drafted point guard Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 after completing the Poole trade with the Washington Wizards.
The 2026 first-round pick represents a particularly valuable asset, described as a “superfirst” because it is completely unprotected. The selection will be the better of either the Milwaukee Bucks’ pick or New Orleans’ own selection, making it potentially very valuable.
Dumars acknowledged the franchise had been pursuing Queen as early as the No. 9 pick with the Toronto Raptors before settling on the Atlanta deal. The moves fundamentally altered New Orleans’ salary cap structure and future draft capital.
“It’s the only way I’ve ever had success in this league. I’ve been around aggressive teams my entire life,” Dumars said Wednesday after the first round. “We’re going to be an aggressive team. We’re going to be an aggressive front office.”
Despite Queen’s defensive limitations, the Pelicans believe his basketball IQ and playmaking ability make him an immediate contributor. Dumars praised the 6-foot-10 center’s court vision and versatility for his position.
“I put his IQ for the game up against anybody in this draft. This is a super, super high-IQ guy,” Dumars said of Queen. “He finds people. He has the mentality of a guard. He’ll push it up. He’s just got unique skills for a 6-10 big.”
The franchise expects Queen’s rebounding and defensive improvement will be crucial for immediate team success, even though those areas represent weaknesses in his current game.
Instead of entering summer 2026 with two first-round picks and $46 million in expiring contracts from CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk, New Orleans now faces different financial constraints. The Poole trade added two years of salary commitments while eliminating the flexibility those expiring deals provided.
The moves signal a clear win-now mentality from the Pelicans’ front office, prioritizing immediate playoff contention over long-term asset accumulation.