Like every offseason as of late, the New Orleans Pelicans are trying to swing some big moves. They’re already off to a strong start by that measure for swinging a sizable trade during the 2025 NBA Draft.
New Orleans entered the night with the 23rd overall pick in the first round, but they weren’t happy with where they were sitting. Once the Atlanta Hawks selected Maryland center Derik Queen at No. 13, the Pelicans worked out a trade for the big man.
But it didn’t come at a low cost.
The Pelicans sent No. 23, plus a fully unprotected first-round pick, or a “superfirst” to Atlanta in exchange for Queen. According to [The Athletic’s John Hollinger](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6452680/2025/06/26/new-orleans-pelicans-trade-draft-derik-queen/), the Pelicans’ decision had some NBA executives “chortling.”
> “The pick New Orleans sent to Atlanta is a so-called ‘superfirst’ because it is completely unprotected, and it is the better of either Milwaukee’s pick or the Pelicans’. In other words, the Hawks have a strong chance of generating a high lottery pick out of this, because A) the Pelicans are the Pelicans, B) Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard tore his Achilles, and C) only one of the two teams needs to be bad for the Hawks to reap a huge payoff.”
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> The Athletic’s John Hollinger on Pelicans trade
If the Pelicans don’t reach the playoffs again next season, this trade could certainly be ridiculed even further for years to come. After winning just 21 games in 2025, assuming they’ll take a giant leap while staying healthy is certainly risky.
Yet, if Queen can quickly develop into a solid contributor in a center rotation that also features 2024 first-round pick Yves Missi, perhaps the Pelicans will look like geniuses instead.
**Related: [Team execs, player agents ridicule Brooklyn Nets for NBA Draft picks](https://sportsnaut.com/nba/team-execs-player-agents-ridicule-brooklyn-nets-for-nba-draft-picks/)**