Pelicans' Queen out long term after wrist surgery
Logan Riely / National Basketball Association / Getty
New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, the team announced Friday.
Queen sustained the injury during the Pelicans' Summer League contest against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old was selected 13th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft following a stellar freshman season with Maryland, averaging 21.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Queen helped lead the Terps to the Sweet 16, where they lost to Florida, the eventual winners of the NCAA men's title.
The Pelicans traded an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks to move up 10 spots in the draft to select Queen.