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The NBA Draft is always full of trades, and Wednesday night was no different. While the beginning of the NBA Draft was relatively quiet on the trade front, the deals started to come in thick and fast after the first few picks were made. In the end, perhaps none of the deals had the ramifications as the one between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Atlanta Hawks.
After the Pelicans selected Oklahoma point guard Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 overall pick, they were slated to pick again at No. 13. However, they saw a player they wanted and went up to get him. New Orleans ended up moving the No. 23 pick to Atlanta along with an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up to No. 13 and take Maryland big man Derik Queen.
The trade came as a surprise to many, and now the Pelicans have a pair of lottery picks to bring into next season.
Here's a look at how both teams fared in the surprising draft day trade.
Pelicans move up for Derik Queen, take a big risk in 2026 draft
First, let's dive into Queen. He is a playmaking big man who is a bit undersized to be a center, but his role makes it tough to envision him playing the four. Despite questions about his role and position, he is a skilled player who should contribute for the Pelicans immediately.
Queen is a great driver and a talented passer for his size, allowing teams to run offense through him and let him to dictate play on that end. He is an excellent finisher at the rim and has great touch while using his body to create space, even against bigger and more athletic defenders. The jumper has a ways to go, but Queen showed confidence in that shot toward the end of his freshman season and knocked down a couple of big 3s in the postseason.
Defensively, Queen has pretty slow feet and isn't a rim protector, which leads to further questions about his role. However, he has good hands and is active on the perimeter. He is also a very good rebounder for his size, which will be an asset at the next level.
If there is a big man who is a good fit next to Queen, it is Pelicans center Yves Missi. Missi is an athletic big who can protect the rim and is a lob threat on the offensive end, which will allow Queen to play more of the four on defense. The two can also work together in big-big two-man actions on offense or in high-low situations.
Overall, the fit is pretty good for Queen. However, giving away next year's first-round pick is where this trade runs into some complications. The pick is the most favorable of the Pelicans or the Milwaukee Bucks next summer, which could end up being a valuable pick.
Despite the good young pieces that the Pelicans have on the roster, it is far from a guarantee that they will even be a play-in team next year. The Western Conference is loaded with talent across the board and New Orleans still likely has to bank on a healthy season from Zion Williamson in order to be all that competitive.
On the other side, there is a chance the Bucks could bottom out as well. It looks like Giannis Antetokounmpo is sticking around, but Damian Lillard is going to miss most, if not all of the season. One injury to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks instantly become one of the worst teams in the league, which would result in a valuable first-round pick going now to Atlanta.
Queen is a good player, even one that the Pelicans are getting value from at No. 13. However, the possibility that they traded a top 10 pick in a loaded 2026 draft to move up 10 spots on Wednesday night is a tough pill to swallow.
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Grade: D+
Hawks load up for 2026 draft, get steal at No. 23 in Asa Newell
The Hawks, not seeing anybody that they were in love with at No. 13, happily accepted that potential top pick next season in exchange for falling out of the lottery and into the No. 23 spot. That alone makes this an extremely valuable trade for Atlanta, especially if New Orleans is near the bottom of the Western Conference as expected.
With that No. 23 pick, the Hawks selected freshman wing Asa Newell out of Georgia. Newell, ironically Queen's high school teammate at Montverde Academy alongside Cooper Flagg, is a very young and talented prospect who should have no trouble making an impact as a rookie.
Newell doesn't have a lot of traits that pop off the screen right away, but he is a very useful player who knows how to put himself in the right spots to make an impact on the game. He is a good rebounder and an instinctive cutter, which helps him generate a lot of easy baskets.
Playing with a passer like Trae Young will amplify that skill in the Atlanta offense, so it's easy to see why the Hawks scooped him up here. He isn't an on-ball player, but he has shown the ability to be a connective playmaker as well.
Defensively, Newell is strong both on and off the ball. Atlanta already has a number of wings who impact the game defensively such as Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, and Newell should fit right into that mold.
Overall, the Hawks move down in the draft and still got a player who should be a contributor for the team, while also taking a bet on a probably lottery pick next season. While it isn't going to make splashy headlines, that is sound front-office work by Onsi Saleh and company.
Grade: A-
