The New Orleans Pelicans were aggressive in their pursuit of former Maryland center Derik Queen. In the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Pelicans moved up

The Pelicans acquired Queen in a draft-night deal with the Atlanta Hawks, who received No. 23 pick Asa Newell and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder in return. Derik Queen’s draft night schedule: 1. Get drafted 2. Update @LinkedIn 😂 pic.twitter.com/I2nag3eck8

As Tom Petty once said, “The waiting is the hardest part.” That’s never more true than on draft night. With five minutes between picks and, often, not a whole lot to do in between them, it can be torture for executives who are fixated on a particular player.