Did The New Orleans Pelicans Set Themselves Back On Draft Night 2025?

Jan 25, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) looks to shoot against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Did The New Orleans Pelicans Set Themselves Back On Draft Night 2025?

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By David Desa | Last updated Apr 16, 2026 3:59 PM ET

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The New Orleans Pelicans have definitely not had the season that they had anticipated. They were thinking something way different than what ended up happening, but unfortunately, they’ve been dealing with these problems for a few seasons now. Not surprisingly, this team struggled with injuries again, throughout the roster. What if I told you that their season was doomed before it even started? Or so many people suggest. By no means did this team not draft accordingly. They actually made great selections in Fears and Queen, who have looked really impressive, and available in their rookie seasons.

The Trade That Could Ruin The Pelicans Future

A trade that many might not have noticed, but ended up being pretty important, especially with how their season ended up going. The Pelicans traded their own 2026 first round pick to the Atlanta Hawks on draft night in 2025; this did allow them to draft Derik Queen. Was this trade actually worth it? Considering how their season went, it’s safe to say that New Orleans would probably like to have this one back. In a year where they finish with one of the worst records in the league, they trade their own draft pick. It’s very confusing.

Obviously, this was not what New Orleans had planned for this season. If you look at their roster, yes, they have amazing talent all across the board, but their issue was never the talent aspect of it. Availability. Being available for your team on a night-to-night basis is one of the most underrated characteristics in a player. No team wants injuries upon their roster, but you have to always take injuries into account. New Orleans should know this as much as any team in the league because they haven’t had the best injury luck recently.

End Of Pelicans Rant

What makes this trade look even worse is that this is one of the most loaded draft classes that we have seen in a long time. This pick could end up being extremely valuable if it lands in the top ten, or even worse, the top three. Not being able to select the likes of Peterson, Dybantsa, or Boozer could leave the Pelicans front office on the hot seat. All while the Pelicans are hoping this trade don’t mean much, the Hawks are sitting back relaxing. Atlanta is in the playoffs, they have great young talent, and a valuable Pelicans pick that could make them even more dangerous.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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