NBA Draft shakeup: Atlanta Hawks draft Derik Queen, trade rights to New Orleans Pelicans
Derik Queen (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted thirteenth overall by the Atlanta Hawks during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks shook up their draft board Wednesday night, selecting Maryland standout Derik Queen with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft—then trading his rights to the New Orleans Pelicans.
SEE ALSO: Celtics trade Kristaps Porzingis to Hawks in three-team deal
Derik Queen drafted, traded
What we know:
Queen, a 6-foot-9 forward/center, averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds as a freshman at Maryland. He earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year and All-Big Ten First Team honors, gaining national attention during the NCAA Tournament with a buzzer-beater that sent the Terrapins to their first Sweet 16 appearance in a decade.
Nicknamed "Baby Jokic" by teammates, Queen impressed scouts with his court vision and offensive instincts, despite underwhelming athletic testing numbers at the NBA Combine, including the lowest standing vertical (23.5 inches) and one of the lowest max verticals (28.0).
Kristaps Porziņģis 3-way trade
Local perspective:
The selection came just days after Atlanta finalized a trade to acquire veteran big man Kristaps Porziņģis from the Boston Celtics. The Hawks sent Terance Mann, Georges Niang, and the No. 22 pick to Brooklyn and Boston in a three-team deal that lands the 7-foot "Unicorn" in Atlanta, pending official approval when the new league year begins July 6.
Porziņģis, who averaged 19 points and six rebounds last season, is expected to provide rim protection and floor spacing alongside All-Star guard Trae Young and 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
A Wilson brand NBA official game ball is pictured with a basketball rim and net in the background before the game between the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks at Little Caesars Arena on November 08, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Ge
Onsi Saleh reshaping Hawks
Big picture view:
Atlanta acquired the No. 13 pick last year from Sacramento in a series of trades that signaled a shift in team-building strategy. FOX Sports analysts noted the Hawks were focused on "maximizing ceiling over quantity," given they held just one pick in this year’s draft.
The Queen deal essentially allows Atlanta to move back 10 spots in the draft while picking up a valuable future first-rounder as General Manager Onsi Saleh continues restructuring the roster around Trae Young and Zaccharie Risacher, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick.
NBA Draft continues
What's next:
The 2025 NBA Draft festivities continue at Barclays Center in Brooklyn through Friday.
Hawks fans at State Farm Arena are watching closely as Saleh’s vision for the franchise takes shape in real time.
The Source: This article sources FOX Sports, the Associated Press and previous High 5 Sports reports. Additional details were provided by the Atlanta Hawks. This article is being reported out of Atlanta.