The Pelicans made waves on Wednesday night during the first round of the NBA Draft. After sending CJ McCollum to Washington earlier this week to acquire the No. 40 pick, New Orleans traded with the Hawks to land the No. 13 selection.
The deal gave the Pelicans two lottery picks in this year’s draft with Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. However, it also sent an unprotected 2026 first round pick to Atlanta.
Many felt it was a terrible deal for the Pels, including Bill Simmons of the Ringer who called it “the worst trade in the last decade of the NBA.”
Social media lit up after the trade. Here are some of the best reactions from X (formerly Twitter).
“This was one of the five dumbest trades of this decade.”@BillSimmons was SPEECHLESS after the Pelicans traded away a 2026 unprotected first-round pick to move up 10 spots. pic.twitter.com/GpV3N53eBW
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 26, 2025
Unsolicited texts/DMs from people around the league in the last 3 minutes:
“Holy s***, Onsi got a probable lottery pick to move from 13 to 23?”
“Cannot believe that was the price ATL got to go down 10 spots”
“sooooo Onsi cooked?”
“Just took Dumars to the cleaners my god”
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) June 26, 2025
The Pelicans traded for Jordan Poole today and sent away maybe the 2026 No. 1 pick so they could move up 10 slots to No. 13 tonight.
LET THAT SINK IN https://t.co/wE5haNUxKT
— Mr. Statistician Face Man (@tomhaberstroh) June 26, 2025
trading a 2026 first is so incredibly foolish when you have the track record of the pelicans https://t.co/GhMXwg7dMJ
— jeff (@DedicationHoops) June 26, 2025
“WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!?”@getnickwright could not believe what the Pelicans traded to the Hawks during the NBA Draft pic.twitter.com/9RZ8kBcOOi
— What’s Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) June 26, 2025
The Pelicans project as a bottom-3 team in the West and just gave up next year’s unprotected pick (or the Bucks’ pick if they trade Giannis)???
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 26, 2025
I can’t believe the Pelicans traded CJ McCollum for Jordan Poole AND THEN bet an unprotected first on that working out next season in the loaded west. It took all of 15 minutes for Joe Dumars to step in and grab the belt for worst exec lmao
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) June 26, 2025
Here are previous #23 overall picks in the last five years
Trade the pick Joe Dumars📲 pic.twitter.com/IRLEXKeZ71
— Pelicans Lead (@PelicansLead) June 24, 2025
This is just one more proof that the New Orleans Pelicans are absolutely cursed as a franchise. Last week they traded the Pacers 2026 1st back to the Pacers in exchange for the 23rd pick this year. pic.twitter.com/G88Q9DnYAF
— Tom Campbell (@thomasgcampbell) June 23, 2025
Without exaggeration, making trades with the Pelicans may have deadass turned everything around for the Hawks
— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) June 26, 2025
