Maryland Professional Athletes

Queen Under the Microscope

The most polarizing Maryland alumnus in the NBA right now isn't generating buzz for what he's already done — it's for what scouts can't agree on whether he'll ever do.

Derik Queen, the New Orleans Pelicans' young power forward, enters his sophomore NBA season carrying a weight of high expectations and pointed skepticism in equal measure. Sports Illustrated surfaced anonymous scout feedback this week that cuts to the chase: "I don't see it." That's a blunt verdict for a player the Pelicans are quietly building around, and it sets the tone for what could be the defining year of Queen's early career.

The scout's reservations center on whether Queen has the tools to develop into a genuine franchise cornerstone — not just a rotation piece or a project, but the kind of player a franchise bets its future on. The Pelicans are clearly making that wager. Whether it pays off starts now.

What makes Queen's situation particularly compelling is the historical framework being applied to his development. A separate Sports Illustrated analysis draws a pointed comparison between Queen and fellow Pelican Jeremiah Fears on one side, and the franchise's most celebrated alumni — Chris Paul and Anthony Davis — on the other. The piece is careful not to hang a Paul or Davis ceiling over Queen's head, but it maps the growth markers those legends hit in their second seasons and what that kind of trajectory realistically demands. Year 2 for Queen isn't just about stat-line improvement. It's about proving the Pelicans' faith is grounded in something real.

The framing is fair. Paul arrived in New Orleans and immediately redefined the organization's identity. Davis was a defensive force almost from tip-off. Queen inherits a legacy-rich environment that has historically rewarded young bigs who embrace the moment — and exposed those who weren't ready for it.

Wiggins Finds a New Home in Atlanta

Maryland's alumni footprint extends beyond the bayou this week. Aaron Wiggins, the former Terp guard, has landed with the Atlanta Hawks after the team made a series of targeted offseason additions around their returning core.

According to ClutchPoints, Atlanta brought in Wiggins alongside other veterans to support coach Quin Snyder entering his fifth year with the club. The Hawks' core — Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu — is intact, and Wiggins figures into the supporting cast as a proven NBA wing. It's a functional role for a player who has carved out a professional career through reliability and defensive competence, not star power.

For Wiggins, the move to Atlanta represents a fresh start in a system designed to compete. Snyder's squads have consistently overperformed their talent ceiling through discipline and cohesion — a setting that should suit a savvy veteran role player.

The Maryland Watch

Of the eight former Terps currently active in the NBA — Fernando, Huerter, Len, Queen, Reese, Smith, Wiggins, and Young — it's Queen who commands the most attention heading into the 2026–27 season. The combination of organizational investment, high-profile comparisons, and genuine scout skepticism makes his sophomore campaign must-watch material for Maryland faithful. The Pelicans are betting on a cornerstone. The rest of the league isn't so sure. Queen has a season to settle the argument.

One season in, Derik Queen is already being discussed as a franchise pillar in New Orleans — and the former Maryland big man is leaning into the moment with both seriousness and humor.

Queen, selected 13th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, wrapped his rookie year with an All-Rookie Second Team nod and a reputation that outgrew his draft-night billing fast. At 21, the Pelicans center drew comparisons to Nikola Jokic for his all-around feel for the game — heady praise for any young big, let alone one who arrived with pre-draft concerns about his athleticism and defensive intensity.

Those concerns haven't fully disappeared, but Queen is clearly unbothered. When a fan recently surfaced worries about his future, Queen quipped that he's "fat and slow" — a self-aware callback to the scouting reports that followed him out of College Park. It's the kind of clap-back that works only when the player has already earned enough goodwill to pull it off. Queen has.

The Bigger Picture in New Orleans

The good vibes around Queen exist inside a franchise that is navigating real turbulence. Pelicans GM Joe Dumars has aggressively reshaped the roster — deals involving Queen, Jordan Poole and Jordan Hawkins have cost New Orleans valuable assets and flexibility, drawing scrutiny from analysts who question whether the front office is mortgaging the future too freely. Queen himself was part of a costly transaction chain that raises legitimate questions about long-term roster construction.

That context matters for Queen's development. Sports Illustrated laid out the roadmap plainly: the talent is evident, but defense, off-ball movement and a more defined role need to precede any leap to featured-scorer status. Year two is about proving the All-Rookie nod wasn't a ceiling — it was a floor.

The Maryland Thread

Queen isn't alone in the league. Eight Maryland alumni are active in the NBA heading into the 2026-27 season, a list that includes Kevin Huerter (Pistons), Aaron Wiggins (Hawks), Julian Reese (Nuggets), Jahmir Young (Heat), Bruno Fernando (Raptors), Alex Len (Knicks) and Jalen Smith (Bulls). None, however, are generating the kind of cornerstone conversation that Queen is in New Orleans right now.

For Terps fans, Queen's emergence carries extra weight. Maryland has long produced NBA-caliber talent without always seeing it translate into long-term star power at the professional level. Queen's first season — flawed, promising, and already culturally resonant enough to go viral off a fan interaction — suggests he might be different.

The next step is the hard one. Staying healthy, tightening up defensively, and proving he can impact winning in a more demanding role will define whether the Jokic comparisons age into a compliment or a cautionary tale. But the foundation at Maryland was real, and Year 1 in the Smoothie King Center gave Pelicans fans genuine reason to believe the Terp they drafted is the one they needed.