Former Maryland star Derik Queen has officially signed his rookie contract with the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, locking in a deal projected to pay him around $24.4 million over four years, per the NBA's rookie scale. Queen, the No. 13 overall pick in last month's NBA Draft, will make an estimated $5.2 million in his first season.
The deal includes two guaranteed years, with team options in years three and four, following standard rookie contract structure for lottery picks. If the Pelicans pick up both options, Queen, Maryland's first lottery pick since Jalen Smith was taken 10th in 2020. would earn the full $24.4 million. Here's how that works, via HoopsRumors:
"With the NBA's salary cap set at $154,647,000 for the 2025/26 league year, the rookie scale has been set as well. The rookie scale locks in the value of contracts for first-round picks.
In each NBA league year, rookie scale amounts are assigned to each first-round slot, from No. 1 through No. 30. Teams can sign their first-rounders to as little as 80% of that rookie scale amount, or up to 120% of that figure."
Queen became the first Terp selected in the NBA lottery since Alex Len in 2013 and the highest pick overall since Len went fifth. After averaging 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a freshman at Maryland, Queen impressed scouts with his polish, footwork, and feel for the game—traits that helped vault him into lottery range despite concerns about lateral quickness and perimeter shooting.
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The 6-foot-10, 240-pound freshman phenom, who will make his NBA Summer League debut this weekend, cemented himself as one of the most polished post scorers in college hoops this past season. In his lone year at Maryland, Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 boards, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game on 52.6% shooting over 36 games. He stacked up 15 double-doubles — second-most in program history — and swept First-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
Julian Reese's first bucket in an NBA uniform.pic.twitter.com/9nSpzwf6mk
— Jeff Ermann (@Jeff_Ermann) July 6, 2025
The Pelicans are rebuilding around Zion Williamson — when healthy — under newly hired GM Troy Weaver. Weaver, a D.C. native, has deep DMV ties, including his son, Thomas, who was on Maryland's staff last season as a student assistant. Queen had been linked to New Orleans throughout the pre-draft chatter — mostly around the No. 7 pick — but after slipping outside the lottery, the Pelicans pounced, swinging a deal with Atlanta to grab him.
"Troy's my big bro," said former Maryland assistant David Cox on a recent podcast. "He's got a great eye — helped build those Thunder teams, did the same in Detroit. Now he's with New Orleans. You look at his track record, it makes sense. I'm leaning toward a Troy Weaver–Derik Queen connection."
Queen gave fans no shortage of big-time performances during his freshman campaign, but his signature moment came in March: a tough, running bank shot at the buzzer to beat Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament, sending Maryland to its first Sweet 16 since 2016.
"I'm from Baltimore, that's why," Queen deadpanned postgame — a quote he had stitched into the lining of his suit jacket at Wednesday night's draft.
A consensus five-star recruit and the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2024 class per 247Sports (No. 3 among centers), Queen picked Maryland over Kansas, Indiana, and Houston. He arrived as one of the most hyped recruits in program history — No. 2 all-time in the 247 era — and somehow managed to exceed the billing, becoming the Terps' go-to guy from day one and delivering when it mattered most.
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