Queen produced 21 points (7-14 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, five assists and one steal over 25 minutes during Tuesday's 141-118 loss to the Cavaliers.
Queen was limited to just two points in the first half while missing all four of his field-goal attempts, but the rookie center came alive in the third quarter with 16 points, going 6-for-7 from the field while connecting on both of his three-point attempts in the frame. The Pelicans traded two first-round picks to move up to the 13th spot in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Queen, and the Maryland product has blossomed into a key piece of the franchise early in his career. Across the 19 games since permanently entering the starting lineup Nov. 16, Queen has averaged 15.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks over 28.3 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Double-doubles vs. Dallas
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Queen posted 19 points (7-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block over 34 minutes during the Pelicans' 119-113 win over the Mavericks on Monday.
It was another strong outing for the rookie center, who has now logged a double-double in three consecutive games. Queen has been a permanent member of the Pelicans' starting lineup since Nov. 16, and his strong play of late should keep him in a starting role even when Zion Williamson is given the green light to upgrade from his bench role. As a starter, Queen is averaging 14.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals over 28.5 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Records double-double
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Queen closed Saturday's 128-109 win over the Pacers with 17 points (8-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt), 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal over 27 minutes.
Queen continues to put up excellent numbers, and he's been one of the best rookies in the 2025-26 campaign thus far. Queen now has two double-doubles and a triple-double over his last five outings, showing his outstanding ability to fill the stat sheet and giving him a strong floor every time he steps on the court. Queen has started every game for the Pelicans since Nov. 16. This was New Orleans' fourth consecutive win of the campaign.
Queen produced 33 points (11-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 11-13 FT), 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks in 33 minutes during Monday's 135-132 loss to the Spurs.
Queen put together the best all-around showing of his NBA career and became the youngest player in franchise history to record a 25-point triple-double, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. He set season highs in points and blocks, but it wasn't enough to steal a victory. The Maryland product is still striving for better game-to-game consistency through his first 25 NBA contests, though he's certainly shown promising flashes.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Productive in loss
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Queen totaled 21 points (8-15 FG, 5-8 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and one steal across 39 minutes during Tuesday's 149-142 overtime loss to the Timberwolves.
Queen turned in his best performance in almost two weeks, logging a season-high 39 minutes in the process. With Zion Williamson set to miss an extended period due to an adductor injury, Queen's spot in the rotation just became a little clearer. As we have seen in recent times, there will be some wild shifts in production, something managers will have to brace for.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Limited to 17 minutes
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Queen contributed eight points (4-9 FG), five rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 17 minutes during Monday's 143-130 win over Chicago.
Queen has been generating a lot of positive headlines in New Orleans as a bright spot in an otherwise tough season. He was sent packing to the bench for the start of the second half, however, with the Pelicans rolling with Yves Missi. Unless this becomes a trend, Queen's fantasy managers can treat this game as an outlier, with the Pelicans likely trying to better match up with Chicago's small-ball lineups.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Logs career scoring high in loss
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Queen contributed 30 points (12-18 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-8 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks across 30 minutes in Wednesday's 125-118 loss to the Nuggets.
Queen drew his third consecutive start and scored a career-high 30 points after totaling just 27 in his last three appearances. The rookie delivered an impressive all-around performance Wednesday, leading the Pelicans in points, rebounds and blocks. The Maryland product is expected to continue seeing ample playing time on a struggling Pelicans squad, and he has already logged 25-plus minutes in eight straight games.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Moves into starting lineup
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Queen will enter the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Warriors.
With a new head coach in town, the Pelicans will quickly make a change, moving Queen into the first unit with Kevon Looney sliding to the bench. Queen has been one of the few bright spots for the Pelicans this season, and it's hard to imagine him not running away with this job.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Transformative performance
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Queen recorded 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals across 18 minutes during Tuesday's 116-112 victory over the Hornets.
Queen overcame a slow start Tuesday, helping lift New Orleans to its first win of the season. While he was barely used during the first half, Queen played the entire fourth quarter, providing plenty of energy on both ends of the floor. The Pelicans need all the production in the world right now, a fact that shouldn't be lost on fantasy managers. Queen could be a worthwhile streaming candidate with Zion Williamson (hamstring) sidelined, especially if Yves Missi (illness) remains out for Wednesday's game against the Mavericks,
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Quiet outing in loss
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Queen recorded four points (1-2 FG, 2-2 FT) and two rebounds over seven minutes during Sunday's 137-106 loss to the Thunder.
Queen saw his minutes drastically decrease with the return of Kevon Looney (knee). He is likely buried in the depth chart behind Yves Missi, DeAndre Jordan, Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey and will see very limited time on the court moving forward as long as everyone is healthy.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Cleared to return
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Queen (wrist) has been cleared to resume full basketball activities, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.
Queen sustained a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist during a Summer League game in July and had surgery to address it. With this clearance, Queen may be able to appear in the Pelicans' regular-season opener Wednesday against the Grizzlies.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Unavailable Thursday
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Queen (wrist) was held out of Thursday's 132-125 preseason loss to the Magic.
Queen has been rehabbing from left wrist surgery and isn't yet cleared to return to game action. His next chance to return will arrive during the regular-season opener Wednesday in Memphis.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Double-doubles in SL loss
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Queen racked up 17 points (5-11 FG, 7-8 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 28 minutes in Tuesday's 93-87 Summer League loss to the Trail Blazers.
Queen provided a full stat line, leading the Pelicans in rebounds and tying the team high in assists. He also finished as the team's second-leading scorer. The Maryland product has now recorded a double-double in all three of his Summer League appearances, averaging 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks across 27.3 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Double-doubles in SL loss
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Queen finished with 12 points (4-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block across 27 minutes during Saturday's 94-81 Summer League loss to the Lakers.
Queen has now had back-to-back double-doubles during his first stint in the Summer League. The Maryland product crashed the glass Saturday, racking up a game-high 13 boards while also finishing as one of only three players for New Orleans to crack double digits in the scoring column.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Double-double in SL debut
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Queen totaled 13 points (5-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 10 rebounds and three assists across 27 minutes in Thursday's 98-91 Summer League loss to the Timberwolves.
Queen showcased his interior skills in his Summer League debut, posting a double-double. The center was taken with the No. 13 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after averaging 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds on 52.6 percent shooting over 36 games as a freshman at Maryland. While there's still room for growth defensively, Queen's offensive tools and finishing touch give him clear potential to be a productive NBA player.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Goes No. 13 to NOP
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Queen was selected by the Pelicans with the No. 13 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Atlanta made the pick for New Orleans, so Queen is headed to the Pelicans as part of a trade that sent the 23rd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 2026 first-rounder to the Hawks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Queen is a bit undersized for the center position, standing at 6-foot-9, but he's a skilled passer and an excellent finisher with both hands. The Maryland product was comfortable putting the ball on the floor and excelled as a rebounder. His jumper is a big question mark, as he shot just 20 percent from three at the college level. Additionally, Queen could be targeted in pick-and-roll actions early in his NBA career, considering his lack of size and somewhat sluggish movement. He'll likely begin his professional career as Yves Missi's (ankle) backup, but there isn't much more competition at center outside of Missi.
