The New Orleans Pelicans’ trade for Derik Queen during the 2025 NBA Draft is bound to be remembered as one of the defining deals of its era. At best, it was incredibly bold; at worst, completely reckless. While not exactly Luka Doncic-for-Anthony Davis level bad, the Pelicans’ decision to trade their unprotected 2026 first-round pick for the right to draft Queen was littered with poor process, surrendering one of the most valuable future assets in the league for moving up 10 spots in the draft order to throw a dart on a late lottery pick. Queen’s excellent rookie year has made the deal even more fascinating, and untangling the
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