The Pelicans traded the 23rd pick and a 2026 unprotected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks to select Queen, per ESPN's Shams Charania. He joins No. 7 pick Jeremiah Fears in the Pelicans draft class. Fans quickly took to social media to project Queen's potential with his new team.

The New Orleans Pelicans traded up in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, and they did it without dealing the seventh overall pick.

Derik Queen, a 20-year-old Baltimore native and Terps star, was selected No. 13 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2025 NBA draft.