The 2025 NBA Draft was more than just a roster-building exercise for the New Orleans Pelicans. It was Joe Dumars’ first draft as general manager, and he wasted no time putting his stamp on the franchise.
With two first-round picks, Dumars addressed team needs, made a bold trade, and quietly answered the noise surrounding the team’s culture—especially the criticism coming from inside the locker room.
🏀 First Pick: Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma – Grade: B+
With the No. 7 overall pick, the Pelicans selected Jeremiah Fears, a 6’4″ combo guard from Oklahoma who averaged 17.1 points and 4.1 assists as a freshman. Fears brings speed, shooting, and playmaking to a backcourt that badly needed all three.
This pick wasn’t just about skill. It was about tone and identity. Fears plays with confidence and control—traits the Pelicans lacked last season when the offense unraveled.
The fit is solid. He’ll grow behind veterans like Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole, but he’s clearly being groomed to eventually run the show.
😤 Responding to Dejounte Murray’s Criticism
Shortly before the draft, Dejounte Murray publicly criticized the team, calling it “directionless” and lacking a true system. The comments—though deleted—hung over draft night like a cloud.
Rather than overreact, Dumars responded with clarity: drafting a steady young guard and then following up with a disciplined, team-first big man. The message was clear—New Orleans is moving forward with structure and accountability.
🧱 Second Move: Pelicans Trade Up for Derik Queen – Grade: A–
When Derik Queen was selected No. 13 overall by Atlanta, the Pelicans acted quickly. Dumars struck a deal, sending the No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to the Hawks to move up and grab the Maryland big man.
Queen, 6’10” and 245 pounds, is an advanced post scorer with elite footwork, rebounding instincts, and basketball IQ. He averaged 16.5 points and 9 boards as a freshman and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
He’s not an above-the-rim athlete, but he’s tough, smart, and highly productive. For a team that struggled with interior consistency and needs frontcourt depth, Queen could earn rotation minutes immediately.
🔁 Trade Recap
| Pelicans Sent | Pelicans Received |
|---|---|
| No. 23 pick + 2026 1st (unprotected) | No. 13 pick (Derik Queen) |
The trade reflects Dumars’ willingness to be aggressive when he sees a strong fit. Queen wasn’t just available—he was targeted.
🧠 Dumars’ Blueprint Becomes Clear
In his first draft as GM, Joe Dumars avoided splashy headlines and stuck to substance. He didn’t reach for stardom. He added toughness, maturity, and potential at key positions—and began reshaping the locker room culture from the inside out.
This wasn’t a rebuild. It was a redirection.
Dumars brought in two high-character, high-upside players, and signaled that the Pelicans will be about accountability and development—not drama.
📝 Final Grade: B+
The Pelicans walked away with two quality prospects who fill real needs. They made a calculated trade, kept their long-term flexibility, and laid the groundwork for stability under their new general manager.
If Queen delivers right away and Fears becomes a starting-caliber guard within two seasons, this could quietly go down as one of the franchise’s smarter drafts.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Dumars is out of touch!! Old school in the new NBA just like Van Gundy!!
Good picks, especially Fears! We won’t miss Mc Cullum much.