<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-kendrick-perkins-delivers-derik-queen-hype-to-clap-back-at-new-orleans-doubters');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kendrick Perkins delivers Derik Queen hype to clap back at Pelicans doubters');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Derik-Queen-1.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Kendrick Perkins delivers Derik Queen hype to clap back at Pelicans doubters</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-30T09:36:42-07:00">July 30th, 9:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-30T09:36:42-07:00">July 30th, 9:36am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kendrick Perkins <a href="https://youtu.be/nC15yXF3Sck?t=31" rel="noopener">pushed back against skepticism</a> surrounding the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-trade-1st-round-picks-hawks-derik-queen">New Orleans Pelicans’ draft-night trade for Derik Queen</a>, offering strong praise for the rookie center during a recent appearance on the Road Trippin podcast.</p><p>Perkins addressed the criticism directly, arguing that the team’s move to trade up for Queen with the Atlanta Hawks was justified based on the 20-year-old’s talent and potential.</p><p>“People have been hating on the New Orleans Pelicans since the NBA Draft. Wondering why they traded away a pick,” Perkins said. “You know why they traded away a pick? Because they got Derik Queen. And if anybody has any type of basketball IQ and followed this young man, Derik Queen is going to be special. I’m telling you that straight up.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/new-orleans-pelicans-biggest-derik-queen-concern-2025-nba-summer-league-injury">Pelicans selected Queen with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft</a> after sending the No. 23 pick (used by Atlanta on Asa Newell) and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks. The decision drew pushback from analysts, including Bill Simmons, but the team has remained firm in its belief that Queen was worth the cost.</p><p>Perkins likened Queen’s play style to two of the league’s most skilled big men.</p><p>“I would have f—-ing moved up to get Derik Queen,” Perkins added. “He is a baby Jokic/Baby Sengun. The man has the complete package. He is going to be special.”</p><h2><b>Kendrick Perkins says Derik Queen could become Pelicans’ franchise player if Zion Williamson era ends</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Marylands-Derik-Quee.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Queen played one season at Maryland, where he averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He shot 52.6% from the field across 36 games and was widely regarded as one of the most skilled big men in the 2025 class prior to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/new-orleans-pelicans-biggest-derik-queen-concern-2025-nba-summer-league-injury">suffering a wrist injury during Summer League</a>.</p><p>Perkins further suggested that Queen could become the Pelicans’ next cornerstone player if things don’t work out with Zion Williamson.</p><p>“If things don’t pan out with Zion Williamson and after this season, if the Pelicans decide to part ways or trade Zion, I’m telling you right now, Derik Queen when he comes back from the wrist injury, he is going to be a problem,” Perkins said. “He’s arguably the most skilled player in this draft with an upside a ceiling. He don’t have no ceiling.”</p><p>The Pelicans finished the 2024-25 season with a 21-61 record, their second-worst in franchise history, prompting major changes to the front office and roster. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">Joe Dumars replaced David Griffin as head of basketball operations</a>, and the team added key pieces during the offseason, including Queen and No. 7 pick Jeremiah Fears, along with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/new-orleans-pelicans-2025-nba-free-agency-grades-every-signing">veteran acquisitions Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and Kevon Looney</a>.</p><p>Despite questions surrounding the team’s direction and long-term viability of its current core, Perkins’ comments underscore a growing sentiment that Queen could become a central figure in the Pelicans’ future plans — regardless of whether Williamson remains in New Orleans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kendrick Perkins delivers Derik Queen hype to clap back at Pelicans doubters

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/new-orleans-pelicans-biggest-derik-queen-concern-2025-nba-summer-league-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'New Orleans Pelicans’ biggest Derik Queen concern after 2025 NBA Summer League injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/New-Orleans-Pelicans-biggest-Derik-Queen-concern-after-2025-NBA-Summer-League-injury-1.jpg"><figcaption>Derik Queen dejected after wrist injury</figcaption></figure><h1>New Orleans Pelicans’ biggest Derik Queen concern after 2025 NBA Summer League injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-28T07:11:40-07:00">July 28th, 7:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-28T07:11:40-07:00">July 28th, 7:11am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the New Orleans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-trade-1st-round-picks-hawks-derik-queen">Pelicans traded back into the lottery</a> to select Derik Queen with the No. 13 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they made one of the boldest moves of draft night. The front office sent out a future first-round pick, a 2026 selection, to make it happen. Queen wasn’t a reach by any means, widely viewed as a late-lottery talent. However, using future capital to secure an early position placed pressure on his development.</p><p>Unfortunately, that development has already hit a speed bump.</p><p>After showing promise in early Summer League play, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-gets-update-after-undergoing-surgery">Queen suffered a wrist injury</a> that required surgery. He’s expected to miss at least 12 weeks before being re-evaluated. While the injury isn’t expected to have long-term implications, it casts a cloud over his rookie year and raises the Pelicans’ most pressing concern: Can Derik Queen catch up fast enough to justify the aggressive investment?</p><h2><b>Derik Queen’s NBA style is rare but risky</b></h2><p>Queen isn’t the prototype modern NBA big: he’s not a lob threat, rim-runner, or switch-heavy defender. What he brings instead is touch, feel, and positional intelligence. Standing 6-foot-9, Queen’s game is built more like a playmaking hub than a vertical spacer.</p><p>In college, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/draft/nba-rookies/injury-could-be-early-setback-for-pelicans-rookie-derik-queen" rel="noopener">he averaged 16.5 points</a>, nine rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on 53% shooting for Maryland, anchoring their offense with a mix of footwork, touch, and poise, in the Las Vegas Summer League, which translated immediately. In three games, Queen posted 14 points, 11 rebounds, and over two assists per night, a strong start.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">3 games, 3 double-doubles for Derik Queen</p><p>13 PTS/10 REB<br>12 PTS/13 REB<br>17 PTS/10 REB <a href="https://t.co/iuONTsrtjn">pic.twitter.com/iuONTsrtjn</a></p><p>— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA/status/1945345273225425274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>He fits the mold of players like Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Alperen Sengun, who have leveraged elite IQ and creativity to become successful NBA bigs. But even those players needed time, and they benefited from consistent reps early in their careers.</p><p>Here lies the biggest issue for the Pelicans: Queen doesn’t possess the physical margin for error that many rookies lean on. He’s not likely to beat defenders with raw speed or verticality. Instead, he creates every advantage from timing, angles, and craft.</p><p>And that means every missed rep, every delay in adjusting to NBA speed, spacing, and physicality, matters that much more.</p><p>Missing training camp, preseason, and potentially early-season rotations deprive Queen of the on-court chemistry and learning curve essential to his archetype. When a player’s strength is feel for the game, there’s no substitute for playing time.</p><h2><b>Roster dynamics could add pressure</b></h2><p>The Pelicans have quietly built one of the deepest frontcourts in the league. Zion Williamson remains the focal point. Hunter Dickinson and Yves Missi are role players capable of holding down the paint. And new arrival Kevon Looney adds an experienced defensive presence and rebounding specialist.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/biggest-new-orleans-pelicans-reactions-from-2025-nba-summer-league">Where, exactly, does Queen fit in?</a></p><p>Before the injury, the hope was that Queen could earn rotation minutes behind or next to Zion, offering connective tissue between the perimeter and paint. But now, he risks falling behind in the pecking order, with coach Willie Green needing to prioritize health, chemistry, and veterans as the team fights for playoff relevance in a crowded West.</p><p>Even if Queen is fully healthy by the new year, cracking the rotation after missing several months could be a steep ask.</p><p>The timeline: 12 weeks before re-evaluation, puts Queen’s return somewhere around late October to early November, at best. But re-evaluation doesn’t mean immediate return. That’s only when the medical team will determine the next steps. Factoring in ramp-up time, it could be closer to December before Queen is fully integrated.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that forward/center Derik Queen underwent successful surgery to address a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. The surgery was performed this morning by Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles, California. </p><p>Queen sustained the injury… <a href="https://t.co/6uIgQk4L1P">pic.twitter.com/6uIgQk4L1P</a></p><p>— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA/status/1946287744269029459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>By then, the Pelicans may already have a set rotation. And with the West expected to be a battlefield, throwing a rookie into high-leverage minutes mid-season could be risky.</p><p>The concern isn’t just whether Queen plays, it’s whether the Pelicans will let him play once they’ve committed to other options.</p><h2><b>The silver lining: What Queen can still control</b></h2><p>Despite the injury, Queen should be able to stay in shape. It’s a wrist injury, not a leg or core issue. That means cardio, strength training, and body development can still be a priority. For someone looking to make a leap from college to NBA-level physicality, that alone is a win.</p><p>Meanwhile, Queen can also take this time to dive deep into game film. Learning the Pelicans’ offensive and defensive schemes, studying opponents, and mentally prepping for NBA reads are all ways to accelerate his transition, even without on-court reps.</p><p>The injury does little to change Queen’s long-term upside. His game was never predicated on freak athleticism, which often ages poorly. Instead, his skills should only sharpen with time.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Derik Queen with the backdown and fadeaway 💪 <a href="https://t.co/bA2RDT82Ey">pic.twitter.com/bA2RDT82Ey</a></p><p>— NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1945321332582776917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>If anything, this could be a redshirt-style rookie year, a slower start that sets him up for a bigger leap in Year 2. But for a Pelicans team that gave up a first-round pick to get him, the patience required might be tough to stomach.</p><h2><b>Caution, not panic</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-seeks-redemption-after-summer-league-flop">Derik Queen remains a high-upside player</a> with a strong foundation. His interior touch, vision, and defensive awareness are all NBA-ready tools that don’t show up in a highlight reel but matter in winning basketball.</p><p>But the Pelicans must now prepare for the reality that his impact might come later than hoped. They must carefully manage his recovery and their rotation, balancing the long game with immediate needs.</p><p>In a year where New Orleans is looking to finally break out of the play-in rut and into the playoff tier, every rotation decision carries weight. And Queen, talented though he is, may now face the toughest path of all: proving his worth while starting behind the curve.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

New Orleans Pelicans’ biggest Derik Queen concern after 2025 NBA Summer League injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-gets-update-after-undergoing-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Derik Queen gets big update after undergoing surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/New-Orleans-Pelicans-center-Derik-Queen.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Derik Queen gets big update after undergoing surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-18T12:48:12-07:00">July 18th, 12:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-18T14:43:45-07:00">July 18th, 2:43pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans really wanted Derik Queen during the NBA Draft. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-trade-1st-round-picks-hawks-derik-queen">Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars traded a very valuable draft pick to jump up and take him</a>. He and Jeremiah Fears showed flashes during New Orleans’ games at NBA Summer League. Unfortunately, an injury suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers knocked Queen out of competition.</p><p>Queen tore a ligament in his wrist against the Trail Blazers on July 15. Luckily for him, the Pelicans’ training staff were all over it and determined that the rookie center needed surgery. After it was complete, New Orleans <a href="https://x.com/PelicansNBA/status/1946287744269029459" rel="noopener">released a timetable for his return</a>. It appears that he and Fears’ summer is over early. According to the team, Queen’s re-evaluation will happen in 12 weeks.</p><p>There is never a good time for an injury to happen. However, Queen has more than enough time to recover from his injury before the 2025-26 regular season begins. The Pelicans hope that he and Fears can get a few preseason games under their belt before the actual games begin.</p><p>Queen and Fears joined a team stuck in between tanking and trying to contend next season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-nba-deadline">New Orleans traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors</a> halfway through last season and acquired Jordan Poole via trade this summer. As of right now, it appears that the Pelicans will try and fight for a playoff spot in the West.</p><p>While Queen and Fears do not figure to be huge parts of New Orleans’ plan this season, both represent key pieces of the team’s future. The rookie center’s absence will make developing on-court chemistry with his teammates difficult this summer, which could hinder his progression.</p><p>However, his return window gives him a couple of weeks to get his feet wet with his teammates. Whether he likes it or not, the trade that sent him to the Pelicans attaches a lot of pressure to the rookie.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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