New Orleans Pelicans rookie Derik Queen will miss at least 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to address a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist, the team announced on Friday.
Queen sustained the injury on Tuesday in a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Pavilion in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada. The surgery was performed on Friday morning by Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles, California.
The 13th pick will miss the start of training camp, with the 12-week reevaluation date expected to occur on Oct. 10. The Pelicans open the preseason in Australia with two contests against the Melbourne United (Oct. 3) and SE Melbourne Phoenix (Oct. 4).
Queen finishes summer league averaging 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one block on 43.8% shooting from the field in three appearances. He registered a double-double in each appearance, including a 17-point, 10-rebound effort against the Trail Blazers.
The 20-year-old had a productive run with the Pelicans, showcasing each element of his game that made him highly touted out of Maryland. He struggled with turnovers, but that is to be expected on a new team against better competition and shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
The injury setback certainly came at an unfortunate time for Queen and the Pelicans after a good showing in the desert. The team will be hopeful that Queen can recover quickly and get work as soon as possible ahead of his rookie campaign.
