Why the Pelicans’ Draft Could BACKFIRE in a Big Way

Why the Pelicans’ Draft Could BACKFIRE in a Big Way

what did you make of the New Orleans Pelicans night i’ve been debating on whether I’m gonna say this because I believe it I just know how it’s going to be perceived This was Luca Donuch level bad Oh this was malpractice And we can like the people who are making these decisions but let’s just start with this To trade away essentially two first rounders right you flop this year
and then you give away an unprotected 2026 first round pick Let’s start with this conversation before I get into the context of all of this How good does Derek Queen have to be to even begin to scratch the surface of justifying what you just did like does he have to start does he have to be a starter does he have to in the end be a multi-time all-star does he have to be a Hall of Famer and if we start at the very beginning you’ve told us that you’re committed to Zion and and and maybe maybe you’re lying and maybe you have a deal in place or you’re you’re investigating a deal which I would hope you are How in what world listen we I can I can preach on positionless basketball I can talk about I love putting the best five players on the court I’m all about that But in what basketball world does Derek Queen and Zion Williamson play on the same team [Laughter] that’s a good one I will say this Troy Weaver is now a prominent memory He’s second in command in New Orleans Yeah
Right
I know where you’re going with this
You know you you do you know where I’m going with this The ties to
No
Okay
No Okay
No no no I’m going to his own personal history which he did a couple of years ago right when he was in Detroit I believe it was the 2022 draft everyone thought that he was going to go reach for Jaylen Duran at five He wanted Jaylen Duran He thought that was like like his guy Everybody knew Duran was his guy Duran was I don’t even think he was 18 yet but Jaylen Duran a big man out of Memphis was his guy They wound up going with Jaden Ivy at five and getting Duran in a trade I want to say at 11 or 13 I can’t remember the exact number with the Knicks right yeah So they w up getting two first round picks that season kicking the other first round pick down the road and that first round pick came to be this year I think with the Timberwolves at 14 or 15 And the question you wind up asking yourself is would you rather have Jaylen Duran or that player at 15 or 16 this year like I wish I had the the draft like in front of me Maybe I I get in I get in the break so we can you know complete the circle But that’s the question that you ask And if you are a firm believer in Derek Queen and as a as an executive for another team told me last night either he’s going to be a beast or he’s going to be overseas because he doesn’t get it That is a ultimate boom or bust And when you are a team like the Pelicans and you just talked about San Antonio and some of these lower revenue teams some of these smaller market teams having to take risks Maybe this was a calculated risk for them considering the fact that you have Zion Williamson who you can’t trust yet if at all Yet can’t trust him at all Right you can’t trust You can’t trust him at all But like there listen I’m not claiming to to be on the phone between New Orleans and Atlanta last night
Mhm But there had to be something else that would have gotten Atlanta to move 10 picks back because Atlanta seemed to get the guy that they wanted an AC
right
at 23 I don’t know that you had to listen I’m not crushing Derek Queen I’m just saying to give when listen in in every in every scenario like if we did one of those like computer simulator things where they put up a thousand different outcomes in all 1,000 outcomes the Pelicans are not making the playoffs It is 1,000 for 1,000 They are not making the playoffs next year with Zion If they trade Zion if they flip Jordan Pool if they keep Jordan Pool they are not a playoff team they are going to need that pick next year So in order to justify not having their first round lottery pick Derek Queen needs to be a Hall of Famer next year and and and like the the fit is what b like you have to love this guy so much like so going back to the point like Atlanta wouldn’t have agre Atlanta Atlanta wouldn’t have done this deal if it was top three or top five protected like you got give you saying you didn’t give yourself any sort of protection on any any pillow on this maybe just negotiate
that’s the issue that’s like could you imag New Orleans is not making the playoffs next year It a combination of the West being an absolute monster and the Pelicans roster being an absolute dumpster fire Those two things don’t mesh And you now have said our ability our best ability to add talent in the future is gone like you’re not signing a free agent even if you had the cap space Whatever you ultimately trade Zion for is going to be pennies on the dollar Jordan Pool may be the best next best um basketball player but you’re certainly not getting value for him Like what is your your belief that you told us last night if you’re New Orleans is that Derek Queen is going to be a freaking Hall of Famer in this league and he better be He better be What I will say is this I think I did like them taking Jeremiah Fears at getting a point guard I think I do like that I understand your point Jared understand your righteous indignation I completely get it I don’t think that you are that off base especially with all the question marks on the roster I like parts of the roster better than most I love Herb Jones I love Trey Murphy Like I get that like those are the player those are winning players
Jose Alvarado are not in those are winning players who are not in winning situations
Yeah And you have to get and you have to make your situation a winnable situation before those guys just get so frustrated I’m 100% with you I think Jere I think Jeremiah Fears is a is going to be a good player and I think he’s going to be a good player really fast But I’m with you I’m with you on Derek Quinn You got to you got to give yourself some level of protection like both philosophical protection and practical protection Yeah as far as next season turning into a disaster and you don’t have a draft and you don’t have a first round draft pick unless you’re going to get some level of first back in a deal for Trey Murphy in a deal for Herb Jones in a deal for Zion Williamson which will not be out of the question Jared
let’s see how the rest of the summer plays out right
not only that like like the the Zion deal that you’re talking about that that that that’s I think inevitable here whether it’s in the next two weeks or before the trade deadline Now it feels like teams have the Pelicans by the you know what and
in order to get a a 2026 first round pick back they may be forced to include a Herb Jones or a Trey Murphy to recoup some of those assets Like they are in such a bad spot right now And and let me just add to the fears spot like and I’m with you you know seems like skies through the roof Could be a great guy but he’s not a shooter And could he become one yes You know he was second in the SEC fears in free throw attempts last year which means this is a guy that gets into the paint Love it Love it Great conceptually but now you look at the roster Who else gets into the paint oh Zion takes more shots from the restricted area than anybody in the NBA Derek Queen doesn’t shoot threes Derek Queen took 35 three-pointers last year He made 20% of them So now your three building blocks for the future And forget about Jordan Pool Like what are you doing with him but Fears Zion and Queen are all paint cloggers and all individually are great but how do they fit on the same basketball court let’s see if Derek Queen is a starter next year Let’s see where Zion Let’s see He better you He better be a starter Like could you imagine in New Orleans you know all like 15,000 people that care Like if Darren Green’s not a starter how’s New Orleans the city of New Orleans catching a stray from you Derek Greenberg how are you doing that that’s not fair Could you Could you imag Vin could you imagine if he’s not a starter and they the Hawks get the number one overall pick well the Hawks ain’t getting no number one pick You don’t think
You don’t think the Hawks You don’t think the Pelicans can win the lottery next year and and convey that pick to the Hawks
they won’t
Why they won’t
Why be-c because they won’t Because they won’t That ain’t happen Have you read the script like what tell me
Yeah I’ I’ve read the script That ain’t happening Jared don’t you worry about that You That is one less thing that you have to worry about I would say let’s see what happens Let’s see what happened with Zion Williamson Let I know they’ve been saying all the right things about hey we want to keep him We want to build around him And I believe that that could be the case But let’s see if they get an offer or they get an opportunity to get off of him and his loan money and even with the contingencies around that money Let’s see if he can get off of that money and let’s see where they go from there That’s
I I just want I’m not out yet but I get it But I get you Dakota your producer who’s by the way maybe the best podcast producer in the business Uh can we mark this right now um Vin
I I I want I want to keep this in perpetuity Okay
You are telling me that worst case scenario it is not even in the realm of possibility It’s not a mathematical possibility that the Pelicans could win the draft lottery in May of 2026 and convey the number one overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks Not even a mathematical possibility It ain’t happening There’s a difference between you don’t believing it’s happening and it could happen and that being a through line in New Orleans for the entire season Yes or no read my lips It ain’t happening

Jared Greenberg doesn’t hold back on this week’s Good Word with Goodwill, calling the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2025 NBA Draft “Luka Doncic-level bad.” After giving up an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up for big man Derik Queen, are the Pelicans spiraling?

Vincent Goodwill and Jared Greenberg dive into the fit with Zion, Jordan Poole, and Jeremiah Fears — and why New Orleans may have just given Atlanta the No. 1 pick next year.

🔥 Was this trade malpractice or a smart gamble?
🤔 Will Derek Queen be a star… or overseas?
💬 What should the Pelicans do with Zion now?

0:00 – Jared Greenberg calls Pelicans draft “Luka-level bad”
2:30 – Queen’s fit next to Zion makes no sense
5:45 – “Boom or bust” — execs weigh in on Queen
7:00 – Pelicans roster has no shooting, all paint cloggers
8:30 – Will Zion be traded this summer?
10:00 – Could New Orleans accidentally give Atlanta the No. 1 pick?

🔗Good Word With Goodwill:

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