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Joe Dumars was given the reins to the Pelicans franchise in April and just three months in, things are off to a dubious start.
New Orleans traded the No. 23 overall pick, which turned into Georgia big man Asa Newell, and their 2026 unprotected first-round pick in exchange for the Hawks’ No. 13 selection.
They used that pick to draft Maryland center Derik Queen — and pundits are crushing their maneuvering due to the potential steep cost in next year’s draft.
“This is when I lost my mind. I think I blacked out. I’m so glad the NBA can still give us these … They send that to Atlanta, who had to be deliriously happy. Like, ‘We only have to move down 10 spots and we get an unprotected pick?” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said while recapping the draft on the podcast that bears his name. “This was one of the five dumbest trades of this decade. I was speechless. I just can’t believe it. And who is it? It’s our guy Joe Dumars.”
The backlash against the pick does not seem to be as much against Queen but instead the surrounding factors that could turn this into a disastrous move.
New Orleans had the league’s fourth-fewest wins this past season with 21 and plays in the Western Conference, which is expected to again have an obscene amount of talent from top to bottom.
It’s not unreasonable to expect New Orleans near the bottom of the league standings again and picking in the lottery in 2026.
“They’re in the West. What the f–k does (Dumars) think is going to happen next year? Does he think they’re going to be a five seed? What is he doing?” Simmons asked.
“They should be showing the Hawks’ war room as guys are taking their shirts off and popping champagne on each other. They might have the championship belt now of the biggest mess of a team.”
This trade could be a defining moment for Dumars in his attempt to rebuild the franchise.
The former Pistons title-winning executive had previously been working as the Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations for the NBA league office before being plucked by the Pelicans.
He already proclaimed the franchise is going to build around the often-injured Zion Williamson, even following the rape allegations filed against him in a lawsuit.
Williamson has played in just 39.33 percent of games since 2021, including just 30 last season.
The Pelicans and Dumars clearly believe their two rookies in Queen and No. 7 pick Jeremiah Fears can help the team be more competitive next season.
Queen averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in his freshman season.
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Those two will be relied upon to help offset the loss of Brandon Ingram, whom New Orleans traded to Toronto last season.
The Pelicans had the draft capital to move up after acquiring the No. 23 pick from the Pacers during the NBA Finals in exchange for returning Indiana’s 2026 first-round pick back to its original owner.
That pick became instantly more valuable for the Pacers when Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 and likely will be lost for the entire season next year.
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