As the 2025-2026 season kicked off, it seemed like this could finally be the year Zion Williamson wouldn’t be surrounded by trade rumors. He entered training camp in the best shape of his career and was ready to take on a leadership role. However, since he only played in ten games and was sidelined for an extended period due to a captor injury, it appears there is no better time than now for the New Orleans Pelicans to move on from Z.
Another interesting wrinkle that suggests it’s time for the Pelicans to move on from Williamson is the emergence of new big man Derik Queen. This is something that former Pelican and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has spoken out about, stating that it’s time to get Zion to open things up for DQ.
“The Pelicans need to trade Zion Williamson ASAP, hand the keys to Derik Queen and the kid (Jeremiah) Fears because he’s bumming too, and move on and let those two grow over the course of the season.”
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins went on to say that the fans love these two and that they are the future of this team.
The league is catching up on what Pelicans fans saw early on
Since the eleventh game of the season against Portland, it has been clear to Pelicans fans that Queen has the potential to become a franchise-level player for this organization. Queen really broke out in that game, scoring what was at the time a career-high 26 points. From then on it was the DQ show night in and night out.
While Pelicans fans have known for a while that Queen is the future of this franchise, the rest of the league is finally catching on. Kendrick Perkins is just one of many NBA media personalities who are beginning to pay close attention to DQ production and what it means for New Orleans. People like it Bill Simmons, Richard Jefferson, and others have recently spoken very highly of Queen.
Queen also ranks third on the NBA’s newest rookie ladder as he has averaged 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in his last five games.
As Queen continues to shine, he and Zion’s long-term relationship becomes harder to justify. Both operate and score in similar areas, and the Pelicans’ offense increasingly revolves around their rookie sensation. As the league’s attention shifts to Queen, it is becoming increasingly clear that the dawn of a new era could be coming for the Big Easy.
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