New Orleans Pelicans may have just drafted the next Nikola Jokic in Maryland star Derik Queen

The NBA Draft wrapped up its first night with a mix of expected picks and a few major head-scratchers. Derik Queen, Cooper Flagg, Liam McNeely, and Asa Newell — all members of the same graduating class from Montverde Academy — were each selected in the first round of the same draft, an impressive feat for one high school program.

Queen was the second of the Montverde group to be drafted. In his lone season at Maryland, he led the team to the Sweet Sixteen, where they fell to eventual national champion Florida. Queen delivered several standout performances during his short but impactful college career.

The New Orleans Pelicans traded up to select Queen — a move that drew sharp criticism from Bill Simmons.

“This is when I lost my mind, I think I blacked out," Simmons said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. "This was one of the five dumbest trades of the decade. I was speechless. I just can't believe it."

On the other hand, ESPN's Shams Charania defended both Queen and the Pelicans' decision when appearing on The Pat McAfee Show.

“How can you judge that?" Charania asked McAfee. "What if he ends up being a Hall of Famer? What if he ends up being a perennial All-Star? Then no one is going to be talking about this in 3 years... To me it's too early to judge if they won or lost."

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In a lighthearted moment after being drafted, Queen even updated his LinkedIn profile. But the biggest praise of the night came from ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, who offered a lofty comparison:

“Derik Queen has the potential of a Sengun/Baby Jokic — that's how skilled he is. Relentless on the glass,” Perkins said.

Queen has already shown he's more than just a physical presence in the paint. His ability to pass, rebound, and operate offensively as a facilitator is what sparked the Jokic comparison — and why some believe he could become a special player in New Orleans.