Mortgaging their future on a late lottery pick is one thing. But falling that much in love with a Zion Williamson replacement that is, at best, projected to be three to four years away from realizing his full potential, is just a bizarre case of tunnel vision that borders on negligence.
Derik Queen doesn't even really slot in as a prospect that New Orleans needs right now, nor in the near future. Moreover, while Queen profiles as a unique prospect as a big, his intangibles leave much to be desired, and between his lack of athleticism and conditioning, Queen feels like the opposite and twin of Williamson in all of the worst ways. These are three rookies that they'll regret passing up in favor of him.
1. Kasparis Jakucionis
Because you know what New Orleans needs more than a project to sit at the end of their bench? Arguably the best playmaker in the draft. Jakucionis' slide to the 20th pick needs to be studied, but there isn't a better-profiled pure point guard in the 2025 rookei class and someone needs to pass the ball to New Orleans' bevy of scorers.
And I know, the fit between Fears and Jakucionis would be awkward, but if New Orleans is putting the emphasis on playmakers and passers, doubling down on point guards and getting two bites at the apple is a viable strategy in the draft.
2. Joan Beringer
The Pelicans also need a center who would command a low usage rate for maximum efficiency. Joan Beringer has already proved to be at least near-ready for that role with the Timberwolves, and could have theoretically started over both Kevon Looney and Yves Missi should he live up to the potential he showed in Summer League.
A frontcourt of both Zion and Beringer would terrify on both ends, and each compliments the other in odd and unique ways. Beringer profiles as a heavy lob threat who can jump out of the gym, and Williamson has the vision to take advantage of that (and so does New Orleans' backcourt, in case you were wondering what would happen when Zion eventually misses time). Allowing Beringer to develop beneath three ball-dominant players in Poole, Dejounte Murray, and Zion would play into his current skill set while also allowing him to grow behind the scenes.
3. Carter Bryant
New Orleans doesn't need any other primary decision-makers on its roster, at least as far as players that hunt for their own shots. But what Carter Bryant offers, picked just one slot after Queen, is equally as valuable.
He is an NBA-ready 3-and-D prospect who would have been perfect either off of the bench right behind Herb Jones or starting in place of the inevitably injured Zion Williamson. Bryant is young, and in 2024 boasted a usage rate comparable to fellow rookie classmate Khaman Maluach. But for all of those red flags, his game is unbelievably mature, especially on the defensive end. Truly, not enough can be said of him putting Cooper Flagg in the gulag when they met up at Summer League.
But most importantly, Bryant represents stability as a lottery pick that New Orleans feels like they need. They remember the last time they drafted a player with a massive ceiling and some question marks, and it hasn't been going nearly according to plan. Of course, no one would have passed on Zion at the number one pick, but making a conservative move would not have been a bad thing for New Orleans. Instead they decided to bet on potential again.
We'll see where it takes them.