The Pelicans are no strangers to turmoil, and Joe Dumars’ latest draft move has everyone talking. But not in favorable ways.
Opinions on the Pelicans’ 2025 draft class range widely. Some believe the team made poor moves, while others praised their draft as a risky but potentially strong tone-setter for the Joe Dumars era in New Orleans.
Results aside, it’s refreshing for Pelicans fans to see a VP who is willing to make big moves, unlike former VP David Griffin, whose reluctance to make any bold changes within the roster grew stale.
The question is now whether or not Joe Dumars’ bold strategy will lead to wins for the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Elephant in the Room
In the draft, New Orleans selected multiple high-upside players while taking an immense gamble in the process. This “gamble” was a trade with the Atlanta Hawks to acquire skilled big man Derik Queen with the No. 13 pick in the draft. Fans and analysts alike were baffled by this move, as the Pelicans traded a 2026 unprotected first-round pick to bring Queen to the Big Easy.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1938048857834692920
Dumars’ determination to nab Queen was undoubtedly an ultra-aggressive move, and it signals two things.
First, it makes clear that the front office sees Queen as a key piece to pair alongside star Zion Williamson. Trading future draft capital of this magnitude is risky, but Joe Dumars and company believe that Queen’s ceiling is worth the hefty price.
Second, this deal indicates that Dumars and the rest of the Pelicans front office believe they will be a playoff team next season. If they didn’t truly believe this, why would they have traded their first-round pick for next year?
If everything goes according to plan, the Pelicans will be a playoff team and won’t have to forfeit a lottery pick in next year’s draft. This is far from certain, though, and this trade could easily backfire on the Pelicans. Injury concerns remain prevalent, and there’s no guarantee Queen’s transition to the NBA will go as smoothly as fans, and the front office, hope.
While the Pelicans do have the pieces to make some noise in a crowded Western Conference, many questions remain.
Uncertainty Moving Forward
The biggest question going into next season has been the same for years: Will Zion stay healthy?
The success of this young team rests squarely on Zion’s shoulders. Despite his undeniable talent, Zion hasn’t played enough to showcase his greatness, and it has held the Pelicans back.
https://twitter.com/CourtsideBuzzX/status/1907122300215779457
Another question mark going into next season is Jordan Poole and his fit on the current roster.
Poole, who was part of the deal that sent veteran guard CJ McCollum to the Wizards, has had an up-and-down career thus far. He was the sixth man on the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 championship team, providing essential bench scoring. After that his career took a turn for the worse when the Warriors sent him to the Wizards as part of the trade that sent Chris Paul to Golden State.
Poole’s time in the nation’s capital was inconsistent, to say the least. He didn’t have much veteran talent to work with in Washington and was asked to do too much on a struggling, young team. Bad habits crept back into his game, including poor shot selection and lack of hustle on the defensive end.
Poole did have a bit of a bounce-back season in 2024-25, averaging 20.5 points and nearly five assists per game. He also shot an efficient 37.8% from three, backing up his reputation as a sharpshooter.
How Poole will fit into the current roster remains unknown, especially with Dejounte Murray hoping to return around mid-season and rookie guard Jeremiah Fears also entering the mix.
But one thing remains certain: Jordan Poole in New Orleans will be must-watch basketball, for better or worse.
Is Queen Worth the Risk?
The Derik Queen selection is a great pick on its own. His unique blend of interior scoring, frontcourt footwork, and court vision makes him an intriguing prospect.
However, it was the trade to move up to get him that sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. Picks are as valuable as they have ever been in today’s NBA, and passing up on a potential top-ten pick for a raw, undersized center is indeed audacious.
There are questions about Queens’ ability to stretch the floor alongside Zion, as both are non-shooters. His defense is also a question mark and it will be scrutinized while he adjusted to guarding more talented bigs at the next level.
What’s most frustrating about the Queen situation is how quickly analysts are to criticize the move. Let the kid take the court before declaring the trade “one of the dumbest in history,” (cough, cough, Bill Simmons).
The bottom line is this: Joe Dumars and GM Troy Weaver appear to have a clear vision for the future and are determined to see it come to fruition. Whether their vision will pay off is yet to be seen, but it’s hard to fault the new front office for taking risks, especially in a small market like New Orleans.
If Queen becomes a perennial All-Star alongside Zion, the league will look at this move as the one that revitalized Pelicans basketball. However, that logic does work both ways. If Queen doesn’t pan out, this draft-day gamble could end up as the defining failure of Dumars’ tenure with the Pelicans.
The New Look Pelicans
This move signifies the beginning of a new chapter in Pelicans basketball.
For years, the Pelicans have operated in a state of limbo, cautiously building around Zion Williamson while avoiding any drastic moves.
But a new sheriff is in town, and he’s immediately putting his stamp on the team. Whether or not Joe Dumars succeeds in building a consistent winner, it’s refreshing to see that he’s willing to switch things up and take the kind of risk that can change the franchise’s trajectory.
The 2025-26 Pelicans are an intriguing team on paper with just as much potential as uncertainty. Dumars is cooking something up. Whether it’s going to turn out as a perfectly seared medium-rare steak or a ten-cent can of chili, that’s the question on everyone’s mind.
Leave a comment