The Atlanta Hawks took home the honor of the best offseason this year after a flurry of low-risk, high-reward moves that make the team contenders to win the East. The best move they made, however, will not impact the team until next season.
The Hawks traded their 13th pick to New Orleans for the 23rd pick and the Pelicans' 2026 first rounder in a draft-day blockbuster that broke the league. This trade is ridiculous for many reasons, the most significant being the reward they received for trading back.
CBS's Sam Quinn lauded the New Orleans first round pick as "one of the best first round picks that has ever been traded." He goes on to explain that the Pelicans had the fourth-worst record in the league last season. After making no moves to immediately improve the roster, the Pelicans could very well hand the Hawks a top-five pick next season.
The Hawks earned the best first round pick in NBA history for nothing
Draft insiders suggest that the Hawks wanted to take Asa Newell, who Atlanta ended up drafting at 23, with the 13th pick. To earn the best first round pick to be traded in league history while still getting to draft their preferred prospect is a steal the NBA has never seen before.
To make matters worse for the Pelicans, they drafted the wrong guy. While there was no clear consensus for who should have gone at 13, Derik Queen is not who the Pelicans think he is. He had an embarrassing summer league performance, putting up minimal offensive production and earning the title "probably the worst defensive player I saw at summer league" from Sam Vecenie.
Furthermore, Queen does not fit the Pelicans' team at all. He is a slow-footed big with defensive limitations, the last thing New Orleans needed to support Zion Williamson. The team has a dismal outlook for next season, with yet another bottom-tier record likely to follow in a loaded Western Conference.
While Queen may pan out as an NBA player, he will not impact winning basketball this season. Their miscalculation to trade their unprotected first for him was so bizarre that the Hawks couldn't believe what they were being offered.
The Pelicans have many obstacles to overcome next season. Former Hawk Dejounte Murray suffered an Achilles tear that will likely cause him to miss the start of next season. Zion Williamson has averaged just 43 games played a season since entering the league. Queen suffered a wrist injury that will stunt his early development.
The Hawks may opt to trade this pick to reload their roster heading into the trade deadline, or they could use the pick in the loaded 2026 draft class. Whether Atlanta ends up using this pick or not, Onsi Saleh led one of the greatest heists in NBA history.