NEW ORLEANS — At some point, reality stops knocking and simply kicks the door down. For the Pelicans, Wednesday night against Denver might have been that moment — because while New Orleans took another loss, it also watched rookie big man Derik Queen go toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokic and look like someone you can build an actual franchise around.
And yes, the phrase “build around” is intentional. Because it’s time for the Pelicans to do the uncomfortable thing, the honest thing, the necessary thing: turn the page on Zion Williamson and invest fully in the future that’s staring them dead in the face.
Queen dropped 30 points with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks against one of the top dawgs of the Western Conference. Even the four turnovers — which are fixable — came from aggression, not chaos. Plenty of veterans have gotten swallowed whole by a Jokic matchup. Queen hung in, threw punches back, and demanded respect. That’s not normal for a rookie. That’s foundational.
It’s exactly the kind of foundational the Pelicans thought they were getting with Zion, back when Zion was the kind of basketball phenomenon who made mixtapes look like Spielberg productions. Nobody faults New Orleans for that pick — every GM on Earth would’ve submitted that draft card in 0.2 seconds. The problem wasn’t the decision; it’s the diminishing returns.
Zion’s availability remains, well, theoretical. The flashes of dominance are still cinematic, but the Pelicans need more than highlight reels and annual optimism campaigns. They need minutes. They need continuity. They need someone who isn’t one awkward landing away from another long-term absence. There is no heavier word in sports than “if,” and Zion’s career is built on top of it like a card tower.
This franchise has already bungled multiple draft classes, mismanaged cap space, and watched talent walk out the door. They cannot afford more wishful thinking. They need a new fulcrum — and a 6-foot-10, skilled, competitive 20-year-old who just stared down Jokic without blinking feels like a good start.
Queen isn’t alone, either. The Pelicans have actual young pieces worth nurturing. Jeremiah Fears gives them backcourt electricity, Herb Jones remains one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders, and Trey Murphy III fits the modern NBA as cleanly as a tailor-made suit. That’s a real core. That’s a timeline that makes sense.
Zion doesn’t fit that timeline anymore.
And this roster, while not good yet, is undeniably fun — scrappy, hungry, competitive. You don’t have to squint to see what it could become with time, patience, and the financial flexibility that comes with moving on from the big contract eating the room.
Just stop making trades with the Atlanta Hawks if you have any hopes of contending some day… anyways…
Which brings us back to the point: the Pelicans should trade Zion Williamson to a contender, somewhere he can be the cherry on top of someone else’s sundae instead of the whole dessert. Let a franchise built for immediate contention roll the dice on health and upside. In return, New Orleans gets draft capital, cap space and a clean runway to build around Queen, its best developmental bet in years.
Queen looked terrific at Maryland even while the athletic department in College Park seemed allergic to coherence. Now he’s in the pros, flashing polish inside and out, making reads, competing defensively and showing the calm of a veteran. This isn’t a one-night mirage; it’s the beginning of something.
The Pelicans have waited years for the Zion era to materialize. The frustration isn’t lack of talent — it’s lack of availability. At some point, you stop trying to revive what could’ve been and invest in what actually is.
In New Orleans, what is looks like a rookie center who just put Jokic on notice. It looks like a roster with pieces that fit. It looks like a future that doesn’t require crossing your fingers and clutching your rosary beads before every landing.
It looks, finally, like a direction.
Trade Zion. Build around Queen. And let the next era begin.
Check out all EasySportz NBA Content Here
