Derik Queen
#22C · New Orleans Pelicans
Rebounder
Height
6'9"
Weight
250 lbs
Age
21
College
Maryland
Draft
2025, Rd 1, #13
Experience
0 yrs
C-
B-
D+
C-
N/A
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The Verdict on Derik, in One Read
On the field, Derik Queen grades out as a shaky C for New Orleans Pelicans (D+ Impact). That places him 42nd of 97 graded centers. In his on-court role, the grade is middling (C- Role), reflecting how he produces relative to others at his position. Against that production, his deal reads as fairly priced on the Contract Value Index (C-) — the team is paying below what the play would command. The public read is positive (B- Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score. As a prospect, expect these grades to move quickly as a real sample builds.
Career StatsC
| Year | Team | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 81 | 11.7 | 7.1 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 47.3% | 26.1% | 79.5% |
| 2025-26 | | 81 | 11.7 | 7.1 | 3.7 |
Performance Grade by Season
CareerC+| Season | Team | GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | | 81 | 11.7 | 7.1 | 3.7 | 47.3% | C+ C+ |
Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, 4/13 | @ MIN | L 126-132 | 41 | 30 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11-28 | 1-2 | -5 |
| Fri, 4/10 | @ BOS | L 118-144 | 39 | 25 |
Current Contract
Length
3 years
Total Value
$16.2M
Guaranteed
$10.6M
AAV
$5.2M/yr
Guaranteed %65%
Contract Value Index (CVI)
C-
Fair Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
Derik Queen's Contract Value Index lands at C-, putting the deal in a clear band of comparable signings. The rookie scale contract carries a $5.2M AAV over three years, a standard first-round anchor for a 13th overall pick, and Queen's 2025-26 production — 11.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 3.7 APG across 81 games — aligns cleanly with a C-tier performance grade, meaning the contract is neither undervalued nor a disaster relative to what he's delivered as a 21-year-old in his first NBA season. For a center at this stage, the numbers are solid: respectable rebounding, playmaking that exceeds typical big-man passing ranges, and reasonable efficiency have given New Orleans legitimate reason to view him as a foundational asset rather than a lottery bust. The three-year term is low-risk by design — rookie deals carry no cap flexibility burden for the team and minimal franchise downside — but the CVI's cooling trend over the last month reflects the broader organizational uncertainty surrounding the Pelicans themselves; a young talent's contract value can only float so high when the franchise building around him is sorting out its identity at 26-56. Media narrative around Queen remains constructively optimistic for a developmental piece, emphasizing his corner as a cornerstone rather than a role player, which is appropriate given his age and early production. The deal works for both sides at this juncture: Queen gets the standard runway to develop, and New Orleans maintains flexibility while holding a genuine prospect in house.
Performance Analysis
C
#42 of 97 Centers
Contracts in the Same Value Band
Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Derik's contract sits relative to comparable money.
How Derik Compares at the Position
Derik Queen ranks 42nd of 97 graded centers by performance. That slots Derik between Isaiah Stewart (C) just ahead and Hunter Dickinson (C-) just behind.
Graded higher
Isaiah StewartDetroit PistonsCWendell Carter Jr.Orlando MagicCMyles TurnerMilwaukee BucksCDerik QueenC
Graded lower
Hunter DickinsonNew Orleans PelicansTransaction History
No transactions found for this player.
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About this player
Derik Queen is a player on a rookie-scale contract listed at C for the New Orleans Pelicans. FanVerdicts covers every NBA player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on Derik Queen, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index C-, Performance C, Sentiment B-.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when NBA game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) behind the Contract Value Index read.
For league-wide context, the NBA hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The NBA player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.