The Pelicans did not learn from their critical offseason mistake last season and decided to trade with the Atlanta Hawks yet again. This time, the trade was so lopsided that the Hawks front office couldn't believe it was real.
The Hawks traded the 13th pick in the 2025 draft, which became Derik Queen, for an unprotected 2026 first round pick swap for the better pick between Milwaukee and New Orleans and the 22nd pick, which became Asa Newell.
After losing Damian Lillard to an Achilles tear, then waiving Lillard, and now apparently looking to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks could very well be the worst team in the NBA next season. The Bucks have no assets to rebuild around Giannis after the Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard trades left Milwaukee with zero first round picks this decade.
The Pelicans' outlook isn't much brighter, finishing 14th in the Western Conference this season with a 21-61 record last season. New Orleans has Zion Williamson rostered, who has shown flashes of All-NBA potential. Yet, entering his fifth season in the NBA, Williamson has been unable to lead the Pelicans above the 8 seed, with yet another disappointing season looming ahead of them.
The Hawks front office couldn't believe the Pelicans offered this trade
In a hilarious retelling of the draft night saga, an anonymous Eastern Conference GM revealed that Hawks Senior Vice President Bryson Graham didn't believe the Pelicans were offering the 2026 pick in this trade. Graham asked Pelicans Senior Vice President Troy Weaver "for clarification multiple times" before bypassing Graham to ask Pelicans' Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars if they heard the trade proposal correctly.
A truly wild reconstruction/recounting of New Orleans' draft night decision-making, via @fearthebrown: https://t.co/MRcbxiNiv4 pic.twitter.com/AOKu3lA48j
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) July 3, 2025
The Pelicans could easily have prevented this disastrous turn of events by not hiring Weaver and Dumars, two of the worst executives of this century. Weaver is most famous for his brilliant leadership over the Detroit Pistons this decade, who went 52-192 in his three-season tenure. Dumars has a better resume, being executive for the Pistons in their 2004 NBA Finals victory but has since tarnished his legacy with his leadership over the Kings and Pelicans.
Trading up from the late first round to the lottery typically requires a first round pick to sweeten the deal, but the pick New Orleans traded was no ordinary pick, it is perhaps the most enticing 2026 draft asset available. To make matters worse for New Orleans, they drafted Derik Queen, who compounds the Pelicans weaknesses created by Zion Williamson's defensive limitations.
The Hawks have been one of the clear winners of the offseason, adding a plethora of talent to Atlanta's second unit, which is complimented by a dangerous starting lineup. The Hawks are clearly one of the four best teams in the East, with the potential to finish first in a conference hampered by injuries. With their new 2026 first, the Hawks stand to add yet another talented young player to an already outstanding core.
Hawks' fans should eagerly anticipate their next trade with the Pelicans.