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Pelicans Trade Up to Select Derik Queen 13th Overall

Derik Queen joins New Orleans as a record-breaking freshman with low-post vision on a roster seeking a turnaround from a 21-61 season.

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Morgan McNair, 14, of Baltimore, cheers as she takes video of cousin Derik Queen who was announced as the 13th pick in the first round of the NBA 2025 draft during a watch party at the Urban Crab Shack in Parkville. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)
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Derik Queen arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Overview

  • The Pelicans acquired the No. 13 pick from the Hawks by trading their No. 23 selection and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder.
  • Queen averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while leading all NCAA freshmen with 15 double-doubles, breaking Maryland’s freshman scoring mark and earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten honors.
  • Though his NBA combine marks—12.45 seconds in the lane agility drill and a 28-inch vertical—ranked among the lowest, analysts praise his footwork, court vision and 3-point potential.
  • He is the first Maryland player taken in the first round since Jalen Smith in 2020 and the program’s first NBA draftee overall since Aaron Wiggins in 2021.
  • At a watch party in Parkville’s Urban Crab Shack, family and friends celebrated before Queen pledged to bring a winning mindset to a team coming off a 21-61 season.