This was a pivotal offseason for the New Orleans Pelicans, as they finished near the bottom of the NBA with a record of 21-61.
All eyes were on what the Pelicans decided to do with former No. 1 pick Zion Williamson. Some believed the front office would place Williamson on the trade block due to his injury history and hit the reset button, while others continued to believe in his potential. He has appeared in more than 60 games just twice in his six-year career.
The 2025 NBA Draft and start of free agency were expected to reveal the Pelicans’ blueprint, but fans didn’t need to wait for the latter event to find out New Orleans’ plans.
Zion Williamson Is the Future of the Pelicans
New Orleans made a major move before the draft started, as the front office traded veteran CJ McCollum to the Washington Wizards for a younger, score-first guard in Jordan Poole. This was the first signal that the Pelicans intended to build a new supporting cast around Williamson, as Poole fits the timeline of the two-time All-Star to perfection.
Fast forward to the 2025 NBA Draft, the Pelicans held the No. 7 pick, which they used to select former Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears. Although Fears shares a similar style of player to Poole, the choice to add talent to the backcourt rather than the big man room ensured Williamson is the core of the roster. Chances are, if New Orleans intended to cut ties with Williamson, they would’ve selected a high-upside big man capable of replacing him.
Just a few selections later, it was announced that the Pelicans were trading back into the draft lottery. ESPN’s Shams Charania announced that “The Atlanta Hawks are trading the No. 13 pick in the Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (most favorable of New Orleans and Milwaukee), sources tell ESPN.”
New Orleans is acquiring Derik Queen at No. 13, sources said. https://t.co/PnsPnID1vD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
The pick was used to select offensive-minded center Derik Queen, who can perfectly complement Williamson in the frontcourt. Yes, Queen is a high-upside big man, but he does not share any attributes with Williamson. He averaged 16.5 points and nine rebounds on 52.6% shooting in his lone season at Maryland. While he’s not the best outside shooter, Fears and Poole are able to stretch the floor at an elite level.
The Pelicans are clearly banking on Williamson’s health to improve, and considering the flashes he’s shown when healthy, it’s hard to blame them.
