Derik Queen Bio
Derik Emanuel Queen is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association. A 6 ft 9 in center, Queen rose to national prominence after a standout freshman season with the Maryland Terrapins and entered the 2025 NBA landscape as a lottery pick traded to New Orleans on draft night.
Early Life and Background
Derik Emanuel Queen was born on December 27, 2004, in Baltimore, Maryland. He began his organized basketball journey in his hometown, developing into a high school prospect notable for size, mobility and shot-making for a big man.
Queen attended St. Frances Academy in Baltimore as a freshman before transferring to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, where he was part of one of the country’s premier prep programs. His high school performances included single-game scoring outbursts and double-doubles that drew national recruiting attention.
Path to Basketball
Queen was a consensus five-star recruit in the 2024 class and listed among the top prospects nationally, with major recruiting services identifying him as a premier forward-center prospect. He narrowed his college choices to programs including Maryland, Indiana, Kansas and Houston before committing to the University of Maryland in February 2024.
His time at Montverde Academy and summer circuit play with Team Thrill showcased his capacity to impact the game on both ends of the floor, earning him selections to major high school showcases and co-MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American Game in 2024.
Derik Queen Career
Early Career (2024–2025)
Queen enrolled at the University of Maryland for the 2024–2025 season and made an immediate impact as a freshman. He earned First-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after a season highlighted by high-scoring performances and durable all-around play.
During the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, Queen scored 31 points in the semifinal against Michigan, marking the most points ever by a Maryland freshman in the conference tournament and securing a place on the All-Tournament Team. He also delivered a buzzer-beating fadeaway in the NCAA tournament second round to lift Maryland past Colorado State, a first career game-winner at any level.
College Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Queen’s freshman season at Maryland functioned as his national breakout, blending perimeter skill and interior scoring with defensive presence. Coaches and scouts noted his ability to step out and make jump shots while protecting the rim and initiating offense from the post, contributing to Maryland’s competitive profile during the season.
His collegiate achievements included conference honors and All-Freshman recognition, establishing a draft profile that projected him as a first-round selection in 2025. Those performances and his participation in elite high school showcases cemented his status as a top prospect in his draft class.
New Orleans Pelicans Era (2025–Present)
Derik Queen was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks and traded on draft night to the New Orleans Pelicans. He signed his rookie contract on July 5, 2025, beginning his professional career with New Orleans for the 2025–2026 season.
Queen’s rookie year featured both setbacks and breakthroughs. He suffered a scapholunate ligament tear in his left wrist during a July Summer League game and underwent surgery on July 18, 2025, an injury initially projected to sideline him for several months. Once returned to action, Queen produced impactful performances across the season, recording multiple high-end stat lines that highlighted his versatility.
Driving Style and Strengths
Queen plays with a modern center’s skill set: he blends perimeter shooting and face-up scoring with interior finishing and active rebounding. He displays court vision that generates assists from the post and shows mobility on closeouts, enabling defensive switches. His combination of length and shooting makes him a matchup problem on both ends when paired with a complementary coaching scheme and a patient offensive system.
Notable Events and Milestones
Significant milestones in Queen’s early professional timeline include a 30-point game on November 20, 2025, and a historic 33-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double on December 8, 2025, when he became the first rookie center in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double. He closed the Pelicans’ season with a 30-point, 22-rebound performance on April 13, 2026.
Derik Queen Career Wins
Across high school, college and the early professional ranks, Queen has been part of teams that captured tournament titles and postseason victories while accruing individually notable game wins. His resume includes contributions to Montverde Academy’s national-level runs, a UAA 17U spring championship with Team Thrill, and impactful postseason play for Maryland.
College Highlights
At Maryland, Queen’s freshman year yielded major individual honors including First-team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. His tournament performances featured record-setting scoring for a Maryland freshman and critical game-winning moments in the NCAA tournament.
Other Wins & Perfromances
In high school competition, Queen posted standout single-game performances including a 56-point game as a freshman at St. Frances Academy and multiple double-doubles at Montverde Academy. He helped Team Thrill capture the 17U UAA spring championship with 22 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the title game.
Derik Queen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Derik Queen was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Public records available in the provided material identify his birthplace and early development in Baltimore but do not list detailed family lineage or parents’ names.
Personal Life
Publicly available information does not list a spouse or children. Queen’s publicly confirmed background centers on his basketball development, education at St. Frances Academy and Montverde Academy, and collegiate season at the University of Maryland.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year marked Queen’s transition from college standout to professional rookie. He entered the 2025 NBA Draft after his freshman season and was selected in the first round before moving to the New Orleans Pelicans in a draft-night trade. Early roster integration included a rookie contract signing in July 2025 and recovery from wrist surgery following a Summer League injury.
Once on the court, Queen demonstrated scoring and playmaking that translated to professional minutes, producing career-high scoring nights and a rare triple-double for a rookie center. His rookie season concluded with league recognition as an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection, establishing a foundation for further development with the Pelicans.