The New Orleans Pelicans received a failing grade on the night of the 2025 NBA Draft. It was an absolute evisceration of the franchise's decision to select Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 and Derik Queen at No. 13, with the latter selection being made after trading up 10 spots.
It's still early in the 2025-26 regular season, but Fears is already proving that critics were far too harsh on the Pelicans for their draft-night strategy.
Fears turned in an impressive 2024-25 season with the Oklahoma Sooners, earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors. Concerns over his jump shot created a polarizing draft profile, however, and resulted in many calling New Orleans' selection a reach—or at least not enough to offset the trade for Queen.