The New Orleans Pelicans’ draft-night gamble has drawn fierce backlash from across the basketball world, with ESPN’s Bill Simmons calling it one of the most senseless moves he’s witnessed in years.
The Trade That Has Everyone Talking
Just months after Joe Dumars took the reins as the franchise’s new executive in April, he orchestrated a move that left many scratching their heads. The Pelicans shipped out their No. 23 pick—which became Georgia’s Asa Newell—and threw in an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta. What did they get back? A jump to No. 13, where they grabbed Maryland’s Derik Queen.
Simmons Doesn’t Hold Back
On his Ringer podcast, Simmons didn’t mince words about what he saw as a catastrophic misstep. “I think I blacked out,” he said, still seemingly in disbelief days later. That unprotected 2026 pick? Simmons sees it as potentially golden, especially considering New Orleans’ recent track record. He didn’t stop there, calling it “one of the five dumbest trades of this decade” before adding salt to the wound: “And it came from Joe Dumars—our guy!”
What Makes This Deal So Controversial
Here’s the thing—nobody’s really questioning Derik Queen as a prospect. What has people up in arms is the price tag attached to moving up just ten spots. We’re talking about a team that won a measly 21 games last season, putting them among the league’s worst. With the Western Conference as brutal as it’s ever been, many expect the Pelicans to find themselves back in lottery territory come 2026.
Simmons put it bluntly: “They’re in the West. What does he think will happen next year? Does he expect to be a number five seed?” The math just doesn’t add up for critics who see Atlanta laughing all the way to the bank with that unprotected pick.
Dumars Under the Microscope
This trade might well define Joe Dumars’ second act in New Orleans. Fresh off his stint as the NBA’s Executive VP and Head of Basketball Operations, Dumars inherited a mess and promised to build around Zion Williamson. That’s easier said than done when your cornerstone has played in less than 40% of games since 2021 and carries legal baggage that won’t go away.
Rookie Investments and Roster Reshuffling
The Pelicans doubled down on youth by also grabbing Maryland’s Jeremiah Fears with the seventh pick. Queen showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman, putting up 16.5 points and 9.0 boards per game. Both rookies will need to step up quickly as New Orleans adjusts to life without Brandon Ingram, who was shipped to Toronto last season.
The irony? New Orleans had the draft capital to make this move because they’d previously acquired that No. 23 pick from Indiana in exchange for returning the Pacers’ 2026 first-rounder. That Indiana pick gained serious value after Tyrese Haliburton’s season-ending Achilles injury in Game 7 of the Finals.
Simmons’ brutal assessment captures the broader skepticism surrounding New Orleans’ front office decisions as they attempt to climb out of the Western Conference basement.
