The New Orleans Pelicans front office probably thought last summer’s draft night deal would fast-track something. Instead, it fast-tracked a 26-win season and an empty seat at the 2026 draft table.
Let’s be clear about what happened. The Pelicans traded up to No. 13 in the 2025 draft to grab Maryland center Derik Queen. They gave up the No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta to make it happen. Queen showed real promise as a low-post scorer. But the team around him fell apart. Injuries, roster imbalance, a defense that couldn’t stop anyone. They finished with the sixth-worst record in the league. That unprotected pick they shipped to Atlanta? It became the No. 8 selection in a loaded class. Ouch.
Now here we are. The 2026 draft is coming fast and New Orleans doesn’t pick in the first round at all. Joe Dumars, the executive vice president, has to look at a roster that’s short on young talent and even shorter on flexibility. The easy move is to do nothing and hope the current group stays healthy. That’s also the move that keeps them stuck in the mud.
The Trey Murphy Question
This is where things get uncomfortable for Pelicans fans who love the guy. Trey Murphy III has become one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA. He’s shooting close to 50-40-90. He spaces the floor like a sniper. He guards multiple positions. Every contender would love to have him.
That’s exactly why New Orleans should listen to offers. Seriously. Murphy’s trade value is probably at its peak right now. The Pelicans need draft capital badly. They need a young core player who can grow alongside Queen over the next few seasons, not a 26-year-old role player whose prime might outpace the rebuild.
Multiple asset-rich teams would hand over a top-10 pick for Murphy without blinking. The Pelicans have to ask themselves whether they’re building for a playoff push next season or for sustainable contention three or four years down the road. The answer, given their current roster situation, leans pretty hard toward option B.
The Right Target
If New Orleans gets back into the lottery, Tennessee forward Nate Ament should be the name front and center on their board. Ament is 6-foot-10 with a jumper that projects as above average from NBA range. He can handle the ball in transition, switch onto multiple positions defensively, and play both forward spots.
His skill set meshes nicely with what Queen does inside. Ament stretches the floor, opens driving lanes, and gives new head coach Jamahl Mosley a modern big to build around. Pairing Ament with Queen gives the Pelicans two young pieces with complementary games. That’s a foundation. Right now, they don’t have one.
Look, moving a fan favorite like Murphy stinks. The Boston Celtics had to trade beloved guys before they won. The Thunder let go of sentimental favorites to stockpile picks. It’s the same playbook. New Orleans dug itself a hole by trading away a lottery pick for Queen and then playing poorly enough to make that pick extremely valuable. The smart move isn’t to double down on that mistake by standing still. It’s to make a painful trade now so you don’t have to make three desperate ones later.
Murphy for a top-10 pick. Ament or a similar prospect as the return. A young core of Queen, Ament, and whatever develops from the rest of the roster. That’s not a championship blueprint. But it’s a lot better than running back a 26-win team and hoping nobody notices you don’t have a pick.
The Pelicans have one valuable asset they can afford to move. If they wait too long, that value drops. And then you’re stuck with no pick, no young talent, and a whole lot of questions nobody wants to answer.
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