Hawks draft Derik Queen 13th overall, reportedly flip him to Pelicans
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The Atlanta Hawks picked Maryland big man Derik Queen on behalf of the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 13 selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
New Orleans is sending Atlanta the No. 23 overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder that's the most favorable between the Pelicans' and Milwaukee Bucks' picks, Charania adds.
Queen became a five-star recruit at the prestigious Montverde Academy before returning to his home state to play for the Terps.
Queen, 20, was a force in his lone collegiate campaign, making the All-Big Ten first team and winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He finished 11th in Big Ten scoring and third in rebounding. His 488 points were the third most by a freshman in Maryland's history.
Bio
Position: Center
School: Maryland
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 248 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot
Max vertical: 28 inches
2024-25 statistics at Maryland
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 52.6 | 20 | 76.6 | 9 | 1.9 | 16.5 |
Queen has ballerina feet and deft hands. He constantly puts pressure on the defense, driving to the rim from unique angles and using his wide shoulders to carve out space around the basket. Despite not being a lob threat, Queen finished 68.4% of his attempts around the basket. Like most bigs, his swing skill will be shooting. Queen has All-Star upside if he can become a moderate threat from the outside.
NBA comparison: Zach Randolph. Imagine if Randolph showed flashes of Alperen Sengun's passing. Maryland's spacing was a mess with its double-big lineup, yet Queen regularly tossed needle-threading passes through crowds. He's not the quickest, but he still manages to make his presence felt on defense with quick hands that get into passing lanes or disrupt driving guards.