ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Pelicans forward/center Derik Queen underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks. This is devastating news for the Pelicans front office and their fans, as Queen was one of the few reasons why there was excitement around the Pelicans' 2025-26 season.
New Orleans gave up a lot to draft Queen at pick No. 13 in the 2025 NBA draft, which already turned off many fans. Joe Dumars traded away an unprotected pick swap in 2026, as well as the No. 23 pick (Asa Newell) for the Maryland big.