Derik Queen-to-DC picks up steam after 2025 NBA Draft Lottery set

Ahmed Ghafir
May 13
2 min read

With the top picks in the 2025 NBA Draft officially finalized following Monday’s lottery selection show, Maryland men’s basketball star freshman Derik Queen finds himself inside the top ten of a handful of mock drafts and a possible reunion in Washington DC.

The Athletic: Wizards, 6th

Yahoo: Nets, 8th

ESPN: Blazers, 11th

CBS Sports: Bulls, 12th

After measuring in at 6-ft-9.25 barefoot, weighed in at 247.8 lbs and recorded a 7-ft-0.5 wingspan and 9-ft-1.5 standing reach at the combine, Queen will now look to become the program’s first first-round pick since Jalen Smith did so in 2020, though he has a chance to become the program’s highest selection since Alex Len went fifth overall to the Phoenix Suns in 2013.

The Athletic pointed to Wizards as Queen’s early destination after noting the former five-star “is the kind of personality that this team could use as it looks to take the next step forward.”

“I also love the fit of Queen next to Alex Sarr, as Sarr’s struggles to rebound would be helped immensely by Queen’s positional play on the interior, while still allowing the team to play with some fun five-out concepts. Sarr’s ability to protect the rim from the weak side would also help Queen’s play on the interior defensively, too. This is a fun match,” The Athletic wrote.

“I just know my Baltimore buddy, I think he should come home,” Carrington said after the draft lottery show as the Wizard’s on-site representation.

The Nets, who were the most represented team for home games through the 2024-25 season, were also projected to select Queen with the eighth overall pick.

Yahoo: Queen is a burly big with guard-like handles who dazzles with spin moves, and crafty finishes like his game-winning leaning jumper to send Maryland to the Sweet 16. From early in his career with the Nets, he can make an impact with those interior skills. The question is how long, if ever, it’ll take to translate his velvet touch to the perimeter. If he does that, he has an offensive star upside. But his interior scoring, playmaking chops and magnetic rebounding alone give him tantalizing potential. Those traits alone make him an intriguing fit for a team with a clean slate like the Nets.

After committing to Maryland over Indiana among others out of Montverde Academy, Queen rose to stardom in his first and only season in College Park after leaving the program named an NABC All-District First Team, All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All-Freshman selection. He was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Game after helping the Terps reach the semifinals. Queen led Maryland averaging 16.5 points per game and nine rebounds, while his 594 points set the Terps' freshman scoring record and his 16.5 points per game were second overall. Queen produced 12 20-point scoring games and 15 double-doubles during the year, while he vaulted the Terps back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly ten years after draining a game-winner against Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.

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