The New Orleans Pelicans made headlines this 2025 NBA Draft when they drafted big man Derik Queen out of Maryland.

Jay Bilas believes the New Orleans Pelicans may not end up regretting drafting former Maryland Terrapins star Derik Queen and giving up a draft pick to land him.

Maryland center Derik Queen is arguably the most skilled big man in the 2025 NBA Draft, making him an intriguing prospect to watch. Queen averaged 16.5 points,

The Pelicans acquired Queen in a draft-night deal with the Atlanta Hawks, who received No. 23 pick Asa Newell and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder in return. Derik Queen’s draft night schedule: 1. Get drafted 2. Update @LinkedIn 😂 pic.twitter.com/I2nag3eck8

Few NBA prospects have a wider projected draft range than former Maryland men’s basketball star and Baltimore native Derik Queen.

A look at whether the the Pelicans reached too far in the 2025 NBA Draft when they traded up to No. 13 for Maryland's Derik Queen, giving up the 23rd pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder in the process.

“Derik Queen’s draft night schedule: 1. Get Drafted 2. Updated LinkedIn,” the team said, adding a crying-laughing emoji. The 6-foot-9 center averaged 16.5 points, 9 rebounds and 2.2 combined steals and blocks in his freshman season at Maryland. Queen said he spoke the Pelicans “the most” during his pre-draft process.

It’s only right that friends and family of Derik Queen, who’s famously from Baltimore, gathered Wednesday night for the NBA draft over bushels of crabs. “We’re from Baltimore,” said David Knox, Queen’s great-uncle who sat at the head of a long table inside Parkville’s Urban Crab Shack,

Derik Queen has been busy lately, especially after the New Orleans Pelicans selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday evening. But Queen also made sure to make time to update his LinkedIn profile and notify people that he's officially a member of the Pels.

Maryland's freshman center Derik Queen drafted to the New Orleans Pelicans as a part of a controversial draft-day trade