The Atlanta Hawks robbed New Orleans two offseasons in a row, this time trading back from the 13th pick to the 23rd pick and the Pelicans' 2026 first round pick. The trade continues to get better for Atlanta after Sam Vecenie reported that the club already wanted Newell at 13. Vecenie also ranked the trade as the best move of the offseason, above the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade.
While Vecenie does not say for certain that the Hawks would have taken Newell at 13, he indicates that Newell was one of the guys the team was considering. Still, with how bad the Pelicans project to be next season, winning their unprotected first is an absolute steal regardless of whether the Hawks wanted him at 13.
This trade was a true godsend for the Hawks. To win a first round pick while still being to select their preferred prospect is a home run in itself. With how bad the Pelicans project to be, the trade easily becomes the best move of the offseason.
Atlanta is smiling through it all
Vecenie said that four teams across the NBA project the Pelicans to be a bottom-five team next season. This first round pick they recklessly threw for an upgrade from the late first to the late lottery has a serious chance of becoming the first overall spot, and almost certainly will be a top-10 pick.
The trade was so lopsided that the Hawks' front office had to ask multiple members of the New Orleans front office to confirm they heard the trade details correctly. This alone should have been a sign for Troy Weaver and company that they were making a mistake.
With the new reporting that the Hawks still got their guy despite trading down, Atlanta's 2025 offseason is now the greatest in franchise history. They loaded the roster with talent while gaining overall draft capital, an unheard-of feat.
To make matters worse for New Orleans, Newell just looks like a better NBA player than the Maryland star. While Queen was certainly a more productive player in college, his below-average athleticism and bully ball style of play are a dangerous combination that often limits players.
Newell was a star in summer league, shooting the lights out and flying around on both ends of the floor with his elite athleticism. On the other hand, Queen looked shaky, putting up one of the worst defensive performances of the year in Vegas. His strength hasn't translated to even summer league competition, and he earned the tragic title of "probably the worst defensive player I've seen all summer league" from Vecenie.
The 2026 draft class is considered one of the best in recent memory, containing multiple franchise player-caliber prospects such as AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson, and Atlanta got a free ticket to the top of the board.