Queen underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, ESPN's Shams Charania announced Friday.
This is an unfortunate setback for Queen, as this puts his status in jeopardy for Opening Night -- 12 weeks would be early October. The No. 13 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Queen averaged 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks across 27.3 minutes per game during the Summer League.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Won't play vs. OKC
Rotowire
Queen (thumb) won't play during Wednesday's Summer League game against the Thunder, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
After recording three straight double-doubles during the Las Vegas Summer League, Queen won't play due to a thumb injury. The next chance he'll have to return to the floor will be Friday against the Pacers.
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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
Rotowire
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.
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.
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