NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Pelicans' new leadership under Executive Vice President Joe Dumars and General Manager Troy Weaver made their mark early in the 2025 NBA Draft.

While the 21-61 Pelicans landed the 7th overall pick despite having a bottom four record in the league, the Pelicans took Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears with that selection. Fears, a player who reclassified to the 2024 collegiate class to enter the NBA early, averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a freshman.

Fears' strengths came with ability to create space and pass, with him being considered a high-end offensive generator, but he struggled with a 28.4% three-point shot in college.

However, the Pelicans, who held the 23rd overall pick from a trade with the Pacers, used their second selection to move into the 13th overall slot. They selected Maryland center Derik Queen and paid a heavy price to do so, as they used the aforementioned 23rd overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up ten slots with Atlanta.

Either the Pelicans' or Milwaukee Bucks' 2026 first-round pick will be conveyed to Atlanta depending on which team has the worse record that season. The Hawks will get the better of those two picks.

Queen, a six-foot-10 freshman, averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. He should immediately crack the Pelicans' rotation, as the team lacks center depth. Notably, Queen had combine’s worst standing vertical leap (23.5 inches) and tied for second-worst in max vertical (28.0).