The New Orleans Pelicans' decision to trade an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up and select Derik Queen raised plenty of eyebrows at the time. Critics questioned the value, the risk, and the long-term wisdom of giving up such a valuable asset for a rookie big man.
But as we approach the midway point of the season, that noise has quieted considerably - and for good reason. Queen has quickly emerged as one of the most impactful rookies in the league, giving the Pelicans a much-needed cornerstone to build around.
It’s a move that speaks volumes about the front office tandem of Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver, who now run the show in New Orleans. Both are well-known names in Detroit - Dumars as a Pistons legend and former executive, and Weaver as the man who once helmed the Pistons' rebuild. And now, in the Big Easy, they’re trying to replicate that eye for talent, this time with a roster in flux and a fanbase hungry for stability.
There’s a bit of symmetry here. The Pistons and Pelicans are connected not just through Dumars and Weaver, but also through Trajan Langdon, New Orleans’ former GM, who now runs Detroit’s front office. And while Weaver’s tenure in Detroit ended with more questions than answers, it’s worth remembering that he was the architect behind much of the Pistons’ current young core - including Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, two players who weren’t considered slam-dunk picks at the time but have shown real promise.
That same talent-evaluation instinct showed up again with Queen. At first, the move looked like a disaster.
The Pelicans were near the bottom of the standings, and it looked like they might be handing Atlanta a top-five pick - the kind of unforced error that can haunt a franchise for years. But Queen’s play has changed the narrative.
He’s not just putting up numbers - he’s showing a well-rounded skill set that translates in today’s NBA. He defends, he passes, he scores efficiently, and he plays with a maturity that belies his age.
For a modern big, that’s the kind of profile you can build around.
Now, let’s not sugarcoat the record. The Pelicans are still sitting at 8-23, and that’s not the kind of mark that screams “turnaround.”
But the presence of a player like Queen gives them a real foundation - something they can start to shape a future around. And that’s no small thing for a franchise that’s struggled to find consistency since the Anthony Davis era.
The real challenge for Dumars and Weaver isn’t identifying talent - they’ve proven they can do that. The hard part is what comes next: building a functional, competitive roster around that talent.
That was the missing piece in Weaver’s time with the Pistons. He could find the young players, but struggled to surround them with the right veterans, often swinging and missing on trades or free-agent signings.
Case in point: Jordan Poole, a high-upside swing that hasn’t panned out, as he’s since lost his starting spot to a 19-year-old rookie.
And that’s where the Queen trade still carries some risk. Even if Queen becomes a star, the cost of that unprotected pick could come back to bite.
The Hawks were reportedly so shocked by the offer that they thought it was a prank - and that’s rarely a good sign in trade negotiations. If Atlanta ends up with a high pick and lands a difference-maker, it’s going to be hard not to look back and wonder what might’ve been, especially if that player could’ve been paired with Queen and Rob Dillingham Fears to form a dynamic young trio in New Orleans.
Still, the early returns are encouraging. If the Pelicans can string together some wins and that pick slides out of the top five, the trade starts to look a lot more palatable.
More importantly, they’ve got something they haven’t had in a while: a young player who looks like he can anchor a franchise. And in a league where true big-man versatility is still a premium, that’s a valuable piece to have.
So yes, the trade was bold. Maybe even reckless. But if Queen continues to trend the way he has, Dumars and Weaver might just have the last word - and a new era to build around.