The NBA offseason is nearly over, and there have been a few wild and unexpected moments throughout.
There have also been some lopsided trades that no one saw coming.
According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, one lopsided deal was bigger than the others.
He wrote about the Atlanta Hawks receiving Asa Newell and a 2026 first-round pick, while the Pelicans got Derik Queen, the No. 13 pick.
“Newell is a fine prospect who becomes much more valuable if he can scale up from the 4 to the 5. Make no mistake, though, the crown jewel from this trade is the unprotected pick. You’d be hard-pressed to find two teams facing as much uncertainty next season as Milwaukee and New Orleans. The Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner and a bunch of dudes, along with the specter of the two-time MVP’s future hanging over their heads. The Pelicans are doing…God knows what,” Favale wrote.
These two teams are in a very particular and uncomfortable place.
They both want to get better as quickly as possible, and a lot is on the line.
And while Newell will help them in the long term, that 2026 draft pick could be a blessing for the Hawks, and soon.
They could package it in another deal and get a huge return.
As for the Pelicans, it’s not clear if they will get much out of newcomer Queen.
In fact, he was already hurt and is likely going to miss time in his rookie season.
People are starting to have more faith in the Hawks while they are losing optimism about the Pelicans, and this deal is a big reason why.
This move could seriously help the Hawks, and they might enjoy the benefits from it soon.
But the Pelicans may not experience much of anything from this deal, especially with Queen now being hurt.
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