NBA Execs 'Chortling' as Pelicans Trade 2026 'Superfirst' to Hawks for Derik Queen

It sounds like some NBA front offices are happy to see Joe Dumars back in the league as the New Orleans Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations.

The Pels surprised a lot of people on Wednesday night when they traded the No. 23 pick (Georgia forward Asa Newell) in the 2025 NBA draft and an unprotected 2026 first-round selection to the Atlanta Hawks in order to get Maryland center Derik Queen at No. 13.

The Athletic's Jon Hollinger reported the move "had execs around the league already chortling in the moments after the draft." He went on to describe the 2026 pick as a "superfirst" because of the value it could potentially yield:

"The pick New Orleans sent to Atlanta is a so-called 'superfirst' because it is completely unprotected, and it is the better of either Milwaukee's pick or the Pelicans'. In other words, the Hawks have a strong chance of generating a high lottery pick out of this, because A) the Pelicans are the Pelicans, B) Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard tore his Achilles, and C) only one of the two teams needs to be bad for the Hawks to reap a huge payoff."

Maybe Queen proves to be that good. He averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in his one year with the Terrapins.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman compared the 6'10" big to Houston Rockets All-Star Alperen Şengün.

"While Derik Queen struggled during athletic testing at the combine, those who bought in did so while accepting his lack of explosion or speed," Wasserman wrote in his final mock draft. "His skill level and feel should appear good enough for teams to see a surefire offensive weapon, even if his defensive upside remains limited."

Still, Hollinger argued the Pelicans could've put more conditions on the 2026 pick, and he pointed out New Orleans passed on the opportunity to get Queen outright at No. 7. The team opted for Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears instead.

The hiring of Dumars was met with a lot of skepticism. He hadn't occupied this kind of role on a full-time basis since 2014, and his last years working for the Detroit Pistons were littered with bad trades and draft decisions.

Only a few months after Dumars arrived, some of the worst fears within the fanbase are becoming a reality.

Depending on where that 2026 pick falls, Wednesday's trade can potentially be a disastrous start to his and general manager Troy Weaver's tenures.