Derik Queen Injury News & Updates

Queen produced 33 points (11-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 11-13 FT), 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks in 33 minutes during Monday's 135-132 loss to the Spurs.

Queen put together the best all-around showing of his NBA career and became the youngest player in franchise history to record a 25-point triple-double, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. He set season highs in points and blocks, but it wasn't enough to steal a victory. The Maryland product is still working out a way to deliver with consistency through his first 25 games in the NBA, though he's certainly shown promising flashes.

Queen totaled 21 points (8-15 FG, 5-8 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and one steal across 39 minutes during Tuesday's 149-142 overtime loss to the Timberwolves.

Queen turned in his best performance in almost two weeks, logging a season-high 38.7 minutes in the process. With Zion Williamson set to miss an extended period of time due to an adductor injury, Queen's spot in the rotation just became a little clearer. As we have seen in recent times, there are going to be some wild shifts in production, something managers will have to brace for.

Queen racked up 15 points (4-12 FG, 7-8 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 28 minutes during Sunday's 133-121 loss to the Lakers.

While Queen did not have a great night from the field, he still put up 15 points and effectively continued his impressive rookie campaign. In his last seven appearances, Queen is averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks across 25.4 minutes, and has effectively cemented himself as a cornerstone within the Pelicans' starting lineup.

Queen contributed eight points (4-9 FG), five rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 17 minutes during Monday's 143-130 win over Chicago.

Queen has been generating a lot of positive headlines in New Orleans as a bright spot in an otherwise tough season. He was sent packing to the bench for the start of the second half, however, with the Pelicans rolling with Yves Missi. Unless this becomes a trend, Queen's fantasy managers can treat this game as an outlier with the Pelicans likely trying to better match up with Chicago's small-ball lineups.

Queen racked up 20 points (6-14 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 8-8 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals in 32 minutes during Saturday's 115-98 loss to the Hawks.

Queen was coming off a 20-point, seven-rebound, 11-assist performance Friday against the Mavericks, and he delivered an impressive stat line on the second leg of a back-to-back set. The rookie big man has been one of the best first-year players this season, but he seems to have taken his game to another level of late. In his last three starts, Queen is averaging 23.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor.

Queen popped off for 20 points (8-17 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-5 FT), seven rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and four turnovers in 32 minutes during Friday's 118-115 loss to the Mavs.

Queen did an excellent job of running the offense in this one, racking up seven dimes in his first seven minutes of play, and the seven-assist first quarter accounted for the most assists by any rookie in a quarter this season. He also joined Darren Collison, Chris Paul and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as the only other rookies in New Orleans' franchise history to record at least seven assists in a single quarter. Make sure Queen isn't floating around on your waiver wire.

Queen contributed 30 points (12-18 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-8 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks across 30 minutes in Wednesday's 125-118 loss to the Nuggets.

Queen drew his third consecutive start and scored a career-high 30 points after totaling just 27 in his last three appearances. The rookie delivered an impressive all-around performance Wednesday, leading the Pelicans in points, rebounds and blocks. The Maryland product is expected to continue seeing ample playing time on a struggling Pelicans squad, and he has already logged 25-plus minutes in eight straight games.

Queen will enter the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Warriors.

With a new head coach in town, the Pelicans will quickly make a change, moving Queen into the first unit with Kevon Looney moving into a bench role. Queen has been one of the few bright spots for the Pelicans this season, and it's hard to imagine him not running away with this job.

Queen had 26 points (12-18 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and four assists across 38 minutes during Wednesday's 125-117 loss to the Trail Blazers.

Queen has been tasked with handling a bigger role on offense in recent games due to the absence of Zion Williamson (hamstring), and the big man has stepped up admirably to the challenge. Despite not starting a single game this season, this was Queen's fifth straight -- and seventh overall -- game with double-digit points. He's averaging a strong 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a combined 1.8 steals-plus-blocks per game in six November appearances.

Queen produced 13 points (5-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in 25 minutes during Saturday's 126-119 loss to San Antonio.

Queen continues to make a push for consistent playing time, scoring double digits for the third straight game, despite coming off the bench. The coaching staff seems resistant to putting Queen in the starting lineup, instead opting to run with Kevon Looney as the opening center. Nonetheless, Queen has shown enough over the past three games to warrant serious fantasy attention, even in standard leagues.

Queen ended with 11 points (3-8 FG, 5-7 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and three steals over 26 minutes during Wednesday's 101-99 win over Dallas.

After logging season bests in boards, dimes and steals in Tuesday's win over Charlotte, the rookie first-rounder kept his foot on the gas with another promising showing. With Zion Williamson (hamstring) on the shelf, Queen is starting to push for more playing time. Over his last seven contests, he's averaged 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 19.2 minutes per game.

Queen recorded 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals across 18 minutes during Tuesday's 116-112 victory over the Hornets.

Queen overcame a slow start Tuesday, helping lift New Orleans to its first win of the season. Barely used during the first half, Queen played the entire fourth quarter, providing plenty of energy on both ends of the floor. The Pelicans need all the production in the world right now, a fact that shouldn't be lost on fantasy managers. While there are no guarantees, Queen could be worth a speculative pickup ,just in case this performance earns him more minutes moving forward.

Queen recorded four points (1-2 FG, 2-2 FT) and two rebounds over seven minutes during Sunday's 137-106 loss to the Thunder.

Queen saw his minutes drastically decrease with the return of Kevon Looney (knee). He is likely buried in the depth chart behind Yves Missi, Deandre Jordan, Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey, and will see very limited time on the court moving forward as long as everyone is healthy.

Queen ended Wednesday's 122-88 loss to the Nuggets with four points (2-5 FG, 0-2 FT), eight rebounds and one steal over 14 minutes.

Queen saw his playing time decrease after Zion Williamson (foot) returned from a one-game absence, but was still able to pull down eight rebounds in 14 minutes. Benches cleared late in the second half due to the blowout nature of the game, but Queen's next opportunity to produce would be Friday against the Clippers, which marks the kickoff of the in-season NBA Cup.

Queen notched three points (1-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds and one block in 14 minutes during Wednesday's 128-122 loss to the Grizzlies.

Queen didn't play much in the regular-season opener, but he made his presence felt on the boards. It remains to be seen what kind of role the rookie center will have in his first season, but he could make an impact from a fantasy perspective if he continues to crash the glass in limited minutes off the bench.

Queen (wrist) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's season opener against the Grizzlies.

Queen went down with a torn ligament in his left wrist during the Las Vegas Summer League, which resulted in him missing the entire preseason. Queen will likely see some time right out of the gate to start his rookie campaign with Kevon Looney dealing with a knee injury.

Queen (wrist) is expected to play in Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies, Erin Summers of the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network reports.

Pelicans coach Willie Green said Queen would be evaluated after Tuesday's practice, but if all goes well, he's expected to get the green light to suit up. Queen sustained a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist during a Summer League game in July and ended up missing the preseason for the Pelicans. With Kevon Looney (knee) sidelined, Queen could see some run behind Yves Missi.

Queen (wrist) has been cleared to resume full basketball activities, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.

Queen sustained a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist during a Pelicans Summer League game on July 15 and had surgery on July 18 to address it. With this clearance, it is possible Queen is able to appear in the Pelicans' regular-season opener Wednesday against the Grizzlies.

Queen (wrist) was held out of Thursday's preseason game against the Wizards.

Queen has been rehabbing from left wrist surgery and isn't yet cleared to return to game action. His next chance to return will arrive during the regular-season opener Wednesday in Memphis.

Queen (wrist) didn't play in Tuesday's 130-128 preseason loss to the Rockets.

Queen is still recovering from left wrist surgery he underwent in mid-July, and there remains no timetable for his return to game action. His final opportunity to suit up in the preseason will come Thursday against the Magic.

Queen (wrist) has been ruled out for Saturday's exhibition game against Melbourne.

Queen is still recovering from left wrist surgery he underwent in mid-July to repair a torn scapholunate ligament, and there remains no concrete timetable for his return to game action. The rookie big man's next chance to play will come against the Rockets on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Queen (wrist) did not play in Friday's 107-97 preseason win over Melbourne United.

Queen underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist in mid-July and was scheduled to be re-evaluated in 12 weeks. He's been limited to conditioning drills so far at training camp, and he remains without a formal timetable to return.

Queen (wrist) is participating in conditioning activities, but he remains without a definitive timeline for a return to play, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports.

Queen underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist in mid-July and was scheduled to be re-evaluated in approximately 12 weeks, so it's not surprising he's not been yet been cleared for training camp this fall. The rookie first-rounder still has time to be ready for Opening Night, though the Pelicans would figure to proceed with caution. Yves Missi (rest) would operate as the clear top center if Queen isn't available to start the season, and Kevon Looney would handle the backup role.

Queen underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, ESPN's Shams Charania announced Friday.

This is an unfortunate setback for Queen, as this puts his status in jeopardy for Opening Night -- 12 weeks would be early October. The No. 13 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Queen averaged 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks across 27.3 minutes per game during the Summer League.

Queen (thumb) won't play during Wednesday's Summer League game against the Thunder, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.

After recording three straight double-doubles during the Las Vegas Summer League, Queen won't play due to a thumb injury. The next chance he'll have to return to the floor will be Friday against the Pacers.

Queen racked up 17 points (5-11 FG, 7-8 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 28 minutes in Tuesday's 93-87 Summer League loss to the Trail Blazers.

Queen provided a full stat line, leading the Pelicans in rebounds and tying the team high in assists. He also finished as the team's second-leading scorer. The Maryland product has now recorded a double-double in all three of his Summer League appearances, averaging 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks across 27.3 minutes per game.

Queen finished with 12 points (4-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block across 27 minutes during Saturday's Summer League 94-81 loss to the Lakers.

Queen has now had back-to-back double-doubles during his first stint in the Summer League. The Maryland product crashed glass Saturday, racking up a game-high 13 boards while also being one of only three players for New Orleans to crack double digits in the scoring column.

Queen totaled 13 points (5-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 10 rebounds and three assists across 27 minutes in Thursday's 98-91 Summer League loss to the Timberwolves.

Queen showcased his interior skills in his Summer League debut, posting a double-double. The center was taken with the No. 13 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after averaging 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds on 52.6 percent shooting over 36 games as a freshman at Maryland. While there's still room for growth defensively, Queen's offensive tools and finishing touch give him clear potential to be a productive NBA player.

Queen was selected by the Pelicans with the No. 13 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

Atlanta made the pick for New Orleans, so Queen is headed to the Pelicans as part of a trade that sent the 23rd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 2026 first-rounder to the Hawks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Queen is a bit undersized for the center position, standing at 6-foot-9, but he's a skilled passer and an excellent finisher with both hands. The Maryland product was comfortable putting the ball on the floor and excelled as a rebounder. His jumper is a big question mark, as he shot just 20 percent from three at the college level. Additionally, Queen could be targeted in pick-and-roll actions early in his NBA career, considering his lack of size and somewhat sluggish movement. He'll likely begin his professional career as Yves Missi's (ankle) backup, but there isn't much more competition at center outside of Missi.