Derik Queen Reportedly Focus of 'Persistent' Links to Pelicans amid NBA Draft Rumors

The New Orleans Pelicans will have multiple options with the No. 7 pick in Wednesday night's NBA draft, but it appears that they already have their eyes set on a specific prospect.

In their latest mock draft, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo predicted that the Pelicans would use the No. 7 pick to select Duke center Khaman Maluach. However, Givony reported that there have also been "persistent rumblings around" Maryland center Derik Queen over the last 24 hours.

Givony stated that the teams that feel New Orleans is eyeing Queen pointed to "long-standing connections between senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. prospects historically, as well as the fact that his son, Thomas, was a Graduate Assistant on Maryland's coaching staff this past season." Weaver was also a member of the Washington Wizards' front office this past season, "giving him a front-row seat to witness the impressive skill level and overall talent of Queen at Maryland all season."

Queen started all 36 of his appearances in his freshman season with the Terps and averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks. He had one of the most memorable moments of the 2025 NCAA tournament when he connected on a buzzer-beating jumper in the second round to give Maryland a one-point win over Colorado State.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his latest mock draft that Queen would fall to the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 17 pick, so it would be a major swing if the Pelicans decide he's worth selecting at No. 7.

The 2025 NBA draft is just a few hours away, so it can be expected that New Orleans will do its due diligence to ensure that it makes the right decision on Wednesday night.