The New Orleans Pelicans made a shocking mistake in the NBA Draft, which they could regret for years to come.
The NBA Draft, as always, produced a plethora of headlines. Generational prospect Cooper Flagg was taken number one by the Dallas Mavericks, and Ace Bailey was taken by the Jazz despite saying he did not want to go there.
The Boston Celtics were considering a blockbuster Jaylen Brown trade in the build-up to the draft, and the Philadelphia 76ers looked to trade Paul George, but the shock trade of the night came from the New Orleans Pelicans.
New Orleans Pelicans trade 2026 unprotected first-round pick to Atlanta Hawks
There have been some unbelievable NBA Draft day trades in the league’s history, and this could be remembered for a long time.
In one of the most shocking trade deals in the last decade, the Pelicans traded away their 23rd pick and their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up 10 places to the 13th pick.
| Atlanta Hawks get | New Orleans Pelicans get |
| 2025 23rd pick | 2025 13th pick |
| Unprotected 2026 First Round Pick |
In doing so, they may have given away the single most valuable asset in the 2026 draft.
The New Orleans Pelicans could be terrible next season. Their star man, Zion Williamson, is an injury risk every year. He played 30 games last season, and it was still the third most he’s played in his five-year career.
Meanwhile, guard Dejounte Murray suffered a season-ending rupture of his right Achilles tendon in January, casting doubt over his availability next season. On top of all of that, they won only 21 games last season, the second fewest in the West.
With that said, the Pelicans’ 2026 pick is set to be good. Really good. Perhaps even the first pick. Which begs the question: why did they trade it for this year’s 13th? Do they think they will be good next year?
Even if they, by a miracle, are, that does not guarantee their 2026 pick will be high. To make matters worse for New Orleans, the pick they traded is a pick swap from the Milwaukee Bucks, meaning the Hawks get the best pick between the Pelicans and the Bucks next season.
Even if the Pelicans make the playoffs, if the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo or suffer injuries, this pick can still be a lottery pick. It’s not even in the Pelicans’ hands!
The Hawks have had a gift fall into their lap. They traded the 13th pick for the 23rd, and a lottery ticket for the first pick in next year’s draft. Meanwhile, the Pelicans get Derik Queen.
New Orleans Pelicans draft Derik Queen with the 13th pick
To make this decision by New Orleans even more confusing, the player they traded up to draft is not an ideal fit for their roster.
Derik Queen is an interior scoring big man, whose lack of shooting ability will clog the paint for the Pelicans. That means while Queen is on the floor, Williamson’s biggest strength of driving to the rim gets that much harder.
This could signal that the Pelicans plan to trade Williamson this summer. That would make sense if they planned to rebuild their roster, but now they don’t have their 2026 pick.
In a vacuum, Queen is a good pick at number 13. He has a great passing ability for a big man and was probably the best shot creator left on the board.
But to trade an unprotected first-round pick for a player of that calibre, who isn’t even the best fit for your team, could be a decision that the Pelicans live to regret for years to come.