How the Pelicans’ “Worst Trade of the Decade” Turned Into a Franchise‑Changing Steal: The Rise of Derrick Queen
When the New Orleans Pelicans traded the 23rd pick and a 2026 pick swap to move up to No. 13 in the 2025 NBA Draft, the reaction across the league was swift and brutal. Analysts called it reckless. Fans called it desperate. One national commentator went as far as labeling it “one of the five dumbest trades of the decade.”
Two months later, those takes have aged like milk.
Because Derrick Queen — the player New Orleans moved up to draft — has not only silenced the critics, he has emerged as one of the most impactful rookies in the league. He currently holds the third‑best odds to win Rookie of the Year, and more importantly, he looks like a player who could reshape the Pelicans’ future.
Queen is not the typical NBA center. He’s not 7 feet tall. He’s not a pogo‑stick athlete. He doesn’t overwhelm opponents with vertical explosiveness or towering length. But what he lacks in traditional measurables, he makes up for with a rare blend of skill, feel, and offensive versatility that has already made him one of the most intriguing young big men in basketball.
This is the story of how the Pelicans’ most criticized draft decision became their most promising one — and why Derrick Queen might be the franchise cornerstone they didn’t know they needed.
A Different Kind of Center
At 6-foot-9, Queen is undersized for a modern NBA center. He doesn’t have the elite quick‑twitch athleticism that defines many of today’s rim‑running bigs. He plays below the rim more often than above it. On paper, he looks like a player who should struggle to create advantages.
But the moment he steps onto the court, it becomes clear that Queen is anything but ordinary.
He has a guard‑like handle, the footwork of a seasoned veteran, and the balance of a player who has spent years mastering the art of controlling his body in tight spaces. His ability to string together dribble combinations, change speeds, and manipulate defenders is extremely rare for a player his size.
New Orleans has leaned into that uniqueness. A significant portion of their offense now runs through Queen at the top of the key, where he can attack slower bigs in space, orchestrate actions for teammates, and force defenses into uncomfortable rotations.
The Pelicans didn’t just draft a center. They drafted an offensive hub.
Breaking Down the Handle: Why Queen Is a Matchup Nightmare
Queen’s ball control is already advanced for a rookie big man. He doesn’t just dribble to get from point A to point B — he dribbles to create reactions. His handle allows him to:
Jab and shift defenders off balance
Sell fakes with his eyes and shoulders
Change pace to manipulate help defenders
Attack either direction with confidence
One sequence against Boston’s Luke Kornet perfectly encapsulates Queen’s craft. Off the catch, he jabbed with his right foot, extended the ball to freeze the defender, then spun into a high pickup before attacking back to his right. The rhythm, the timing, the balance — it all looked like something out of a guard’s playbook.
This is what makes Queen so difficult to guard. Most centers aren’t used to defending players who can dribble like this. And when they step out to challenge him, Queen has the first step and physicality to blow by them.
The First Step: A Weapon Hiding in Plain Sight
Queen may not be the most explosive athlete, but his first step is deceptively quick. When slower-footed bigs try to meet him at the perimeter, he can dust them with simple straight‑line drives.
Against Minnesota, he used a rip‑through move to shift his weight left, forcing Nas Reid off balance before exploding to his right. Once he gets downhill, Queen’s low center of gravity allows him to absorb contact and maintain his driving line.
He doesn’t need to jump over defenders — he goes through them.
Mastering Pace: How Queen Manipulates Defenses Like a Veteran
One of Queen’s most impressive traits is his ability to change speeds. He plays with a rhythm that keeps defenders guessing. He’ll slow down to lull a defender to sleep, then burst into a drive the moment they relax.
Against Dallas, he casually dribbled out of a pick‑and‑roll, eyes scanning the weak side. As soon as the defense shifted, he turned back toward the rim and attacked with force. Plays like this show a level of poise and manipulation rarely seen in rookie bigs.
Queen doesn’t just react to defenses — he dictates to them.
Footwork, Touch, and Craft: Scoring in the Paint Without Elite Size
Queen’s finishing package is built on fundamentals, not athleticism. He uses:
Reverse pivots
Shot fakes
Two‑foot gathers
Soft hooks with either hand
Body bumps to create angles
Against Jaden McDaniels, Queen used a simple north‑south drive to move the longer defender off his spot, then bumped him again in the paint to create space for a finish. Against Cooper Flagg, he did the same — absorbing contact, staying balanced, and finishing through length.
He’s not a highlight‑reel dunker. He’s a technician.
Transition Play: A Freight Train With a Handle
Queen’s open‑court ability might be the most underrated part of his game. When he grabs a rebound and pushes the ball himself, he becomes a 6-foot-9 point forward barreling downhill.
He can:
Change direction in traffic
Euro-step around defenders
Absorb contact at full speed
Finish with soft touch
Once he gains more NBA experience, this part of his game could become his most dangerous weapon. Few teams are equipped to stop a big man who can rebound, push, and create advantages in transition.
The Passing: Queen’s True Superpower
As good as Queen is as a scorer, his playmaking might be even better.
The Pelicans’ offense has been at its best with Queen operating from the middle of the floor. He reads defenses like a guard and delivers passes with timing and precision that are rare for a rookie center.
He can:
Lead cutters with perfectly weighted bounce passes
Throw one‑handed dimes off the dribble
Hit backdoor cutters in stride
Drop lobs over the top of the defense
Spray out passes to weak‑side shooters
One play against Minnesota showcased his brilliance. He dribbled right, sensed a backdoor cut instantly, and shoveled a one‑handed pass through traffic without breaking stride.
Another sequence saw him hold the ball at the logo, hesitate just long enough to pull Rudy Gobert out of position, then loft a lob to the backside cutter.
These are not rookie reads. These are All‑Star reads.
The Balance Between Scoring and Playmaking
What makes Queen special is that he blends his scoring and passing seamlessly. When he drives, he doesn’t predetermine his move. He reacts. If the defense collapses, he finds the open man. If they stay home, he finishes.
He’s not a ball stopper. He keeps the offense flowing with:
Quick swing passes
Dribble handoffs
Short‑roll reads
High‑post facilitation
This is why so many elite offenses run through their centers. Queen has the tools to become that kind of hub.
The Growing Pains: Where Queen Still Struggles
No rookie is perfect, and Queen is no exception. His weaknesses are real — but fixable.
1. Finishing Against Elite Rim Protectors
Queen’s lack of vertical pop can be an issue against long, athletic shot blockers. Even when he beats his man, defenders like Gobert can recover and alter his shot.
2. Settling for Tough Floaters
Because defenses often sag off him, Queen sometimes drives into crowded paint and ends up taking difficult push shots from 10–12 feet.
3. Inconsistent Mid‑Range Shooting
The biggest swing skill in his development is his jumper. He has good mechanics, but he needs to be more willing to take mid‑range shots when defenders give him space.
If he adds a reliable 15‑foot jumper, his entire offensive game will open up.
The Defense: A Work in Progress
Queen’s defensive limitations are the biggest concern in his long‑term projection.
1. Rim Protection
At 6-foot-9 without elite verticality, he struggles to contest lob threats and finishers who elevate above him.
2. Lateral Mobility
Quick guards can beat him off the dribble, and he often gets caught in deep drop coverage, leaving the Pelicans vulnerable to pull‑up shooters.
3. Rotations and Recovery
When he blitzes ball handlers, he has trouble recovering to his man, forcing teammates to cover large gaps.
But There Are Positives
Queen is not a liability. He:
Holds his ground well in the paint
Absorbs contact effectively
Stays between his man and the rim
Makes smart positional reads
With strong defenders like Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, and Jose Alvarado around him, the Pelicans can scheme around his weaknesses.
The Path Forward: What Queen Must Improve
To reach his ceiling, Queen needs to:
Develop a consistent mid‑range jumper
Improve his defensive footwork
Add strength without losing mobility
Refine his finishing angles against length
If he does those things, he could become one of the most complete offensive centers in the league.
A Franchise Cornerstone in the Making
The Pelicans didn’t just draft a center. They drafted a player who can:
Score in isolation
Facilitate from the top of the key
Push in transition
Create advantages without elite athleticism
Anchor an offense with versatility and feel
Derrick Queen is not a traditional big man. He’s something new — a hybrid scorer‑playmaker whose game fits perfectly in the modern NBA.
What once looked like a disastrous trade now looks like a franchise‑altering decision.
New Orleans didn’t just find a good rookie.
They may have found their future.
