Season stats: 2025-26. Updated 6 h ago.
Derik Queen Heads Into 2026-27 Healthy, Fresh Off a Full Rookie Season
newsroom · 47 min agoDerik Queen is not on the injury report as New Orleans opens the 2026-27 season. The center comes off a 2025-26 campaign in which he played 81 games and carried real offensive touches for the Pelicans. With no new injuries or roster moves tied to him in the brief, the story right now is about building on last year's numbers.
Last Season by the Numbers
Derik Queen played 81 games for New Orleans last season, averaging 25.0 minutes a night. He put up 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, numbers that show a center who did more than just rebound and finish. He also added 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, giving New Orleans a two-way presence in the middle. Queen did turn the ball over 2.3 times a game, a fair number for a big man who was this involved in the offense. His plus-minus for the season was -3.8. Taken together, the box score points to a young center who was already a full-time piece of the rotation in year one.
Shooting Profile
Queen shot 47.3 percent from the field last season, a solid clip for a center who also facilitates. His three-point shooting sat at 26.1 percent, the clear weak spot in his offensive game right now. At the free-throw line he was much sharper, hitting 79.5 percent of his attempts, a number that stands out for a big man and suggests touch he has not yet translated to the three-point line. His true shooting percentage came in at 54.6 percent. Put those numbers side by side and the picture is a center who scores efficiently inside and at the line but is still a work in progress from deep.
Usage and Role
New Orleans ran real offense through Derik Queen last season. His usage rate of 21.4 percent last season was high for a center, especially one who was still just 21 years old and one season into his career. Listed at 6-9 and 250 pounds, Queen has the frame to operate as a traditional center while still contributing 3.7 assists a game, a passing number that is notable for the position. He wears No. 22 for New Orleans. Coming out of Maryland with one season of NBA experience, Queen's role last year already looked like more than a typical rookie big man's workload, and the raw numbers back that up.
Health Report
As things stand, Derik Queen is not on the injury report. There is no injury history listed for him, which means no past absences or ailments have been logged for the center. For a player who appeared in 81 games last season, staying off the injury list now lines up with that track record of availability. With no setbacks noted heading into the 2026-27 season, New Orleans can plan around Queen being available in the frontcourt. There is nothing in his file right now pointing to any physical concern, which is a clean bill of health as the team moves forward.
Looking at 2026-27
Derik Queen enters the 2026-27 season with a full year of NBA experience under his belt and a clean health record. Last season's 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 81 games for New Orleans give a baseline for what he can provide as a 21-year-old center out of Maryland. The main growth area sitting in the numbers is his three-point shot, which lagged at 26.1 percent last season even as his free-throw shooting at 79.5 percent hinted at better touch. With no rumors or roster news attached to him right now, the story for Queen this season is simply building on the workload he already carried.
Questions fans ask
What team does Derik Queen play for?
Derik Queen plays center for the New Orleans Pelicans, wearing No. 22.
How tall is Derik Queen and how much does he weigh?
Queen is listed at 6-9 and 250 pounds.
What were Derik Queen's stats last season?
In 81 games in 2025-26, Queen averaged 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks in 25.0 minutes per game, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 79.5 percent from the line.
Is Derik Queen injured right now?
No. He is not on the injury report and has no injury history listed.
Where did Derik Queen play college basketball?
He played at Maryland before entering the NBA.
How much NBA experience does Derik Queen have?
He has one season of NBA experience, all of it with New Orleans.
Game log
last 0| Date | Opp | Result | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG | 3P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No games logged yet this season. | |||||||||