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NBA analyst slams Pelicans' trade for Derik Queen as top 5 dumbest of this decade

Originally posted on Maryland Terrapins on SI
By Chris Breiler | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 11:18 AM ET

The New Orleans Pelicans added some big pieces to their roster on Wednesday night in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.

After selecting Oklahoma point guard Jeremiah Fears at No. 7, the Pelicans traded the No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks for the No. 13 pick, which they used to draft Maryland's Derik Queen. The move to get Queen sent NBA analyst Bill Simmons into a tailspin, calling it one of the top five dumbest trades of this decade.

"This is when I lost my mind. I blacked out. This was one of the five dumbest trades of this decade," Simmons said. "I was speechless. I just can't believe it. And who is it? It's our guy, Joe Dumars. And now he just traded away their unprotected first-round pick."

"They're in the West. What the f--- does [Dumars] think is going to happen next year? Does he think they're going to be a five seed? What is he doing? They might have the championship belt now of biggest mess of a team."

“This was one of the five dumbest trades of this decade.”@BillSimmons was SPEECHLESS after the Pelicans traded away a 2026 unprotected first-round pick to move up 10 spots. pic.twitter.com/GpV3N53eBW
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 26, 2025

Criticism aside, it's clear that Dumars saw something special in Queen. Following the draft, he explained his aggressive pursuit of the former Maryland star center.

"Here's what I've said to the staff. When you identify a player that you think can be one of the foundations here, you go and get him," Dumars said. "And that's what we did. We targeted Queen; we thought he could be a heck of an addition here, and we were really aggressive about going and getting him in this draft."

Joe Dumars on the "aggressive" approach to trade for Derik Queen #PelicansDraft pic.twitter.com/bSpiSxqgPp
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) June 26, 2025