Why Derik Queen would be an enticing fit for the Sixers

Go-to scoring ability, advantage creation, elite passing, and alpha mentality give Maryland’s Derik Queen star upside and make him a top-three prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft.

With the NBA Draft lottery on the horizon on May 12, a massive teetering point for both the immediate and long-term future of the Philadelphia 76ers franchise awaits.

While the fan base is hoping the basketball gods will smile down on them once again and land the Sixers with No. 1 overall selection and the fortune of selecting sure-fire franchise-altering superstar Cooper Flagg, the more likely scenario is that the Sixers will be selecting in the three to six range, which would leave them with a multitude of options.

Many Sixers fans and mock drafters have the Sixers slated to target the likes of Rutgers’ sharp shooting forward Ace Bailey, Baylor’s hyper athletic two-way star V.J. Edgecombe, and Texas’s prolific scorer Tre Johnson — all three of which are fine prospects, all worthy of consideration. I however believe that the third-best prospect in this class and the guy that the Sixers should target if they land outside of the top two selection is none other than Baltimore native and former Montverde Academy turned Maryland star Derik Queen.

The Case for Derik Queen

Queen is a 6-foot-10, 245-pound center/power forward. Queen’s guard-like handle, high-level passing feel, playmaking, interior scoring, touch, and elite advantage creation at his size make him one of the few realistic star bets in this class. I’m typically not one for comparisons but Queen’s rare skillset flashes glimpses of Alperen Sengun, a young Boris Diaw and Naz Reid.

Derik Queen Stats:

16.5 PPG

9.0 TRB

2.0 AST

59.1 TS%

76.6% FT (6.1 FTA)

1.1 BLK

1.1 STL

Strengths

Ball Handling: Queen will instantly become one of the best ball handling bigs in the NBA. Queen’s tight handle and coordination make him one of the best self-creators in the class when driving to the rim from the perimeter, playing out of the post, and make him a grab-and-go threat in transition with the ability to lead the break where he flashes an array of guard like moves from behind-the-back dribbles, in and outs, crossovers, and more. Queen is great at changing speeds, setting up his attacks with hesitation dribbles and crossovers. Queen’s footwork coupled with a blend of power and finesse make him a nightmare to defend for bigs on the perimeter and in the open floor.

Wiring: Queen is made up of all the right stuff. Queen is known for his aggressive mentality and inner belief that he is the best player on any court that he steps on, a trait possessed by many of the best players in the world. Queen is a high feel, high IQ player who continues to improve on a sharp curve.

Interior Scoring/Shotmaking: Queen is dominant force in the paint on both post ups and drives. His elite combination of footwork, body control, touch, and ability to finish with both hands make him a force around the rim. He has an innate feel and slipperiness to him at the basket, whether it’s attacking the rim as a one-man fastbreak in transition, attacking in faceup situations out of the mid post, being a play finisher as a cutter off the ball, or playing as a true roll man or short roll man in pick-and-roll situations where he displays good touch on floaters, runners, and an array of shot making tricks both on and off balance.

Queen is also highly skilled playing with his back to the basket as a true post scoring option. He has a variety of moves and finishes with both hands in his arsenal. He is a prolific and efficient scorer at the rim. Per Synergy ,Queen converted on 68% of his attempts at the rim in his lone season at Maryland with a large majority of those attempts being self-created. He also threw down 44 dunks on the season, a good number for a guy that isn’t particularly known for his vertical athleticism. Queen’s coordination and quickness at his size allow him to generate force and dislodge defenders on drives and face ups as well as score over and around defenders in the post.

Passing/Playmaking: Queen flashes the passing ability and playmaking chops that could lead to him being a true offensive hub at the next level. Queen is adept at making both basic and more advanced passing reads, whether its passes out of the short roll, making the extra pass to a shooter, skip passes to shooters with both hands off movement, over the head passes to cutters out of the post, dump offs to his fellow big men on drives, outlet passes to ignite a break, or getting into his bag of no looks, Queen is a very advanced passer despite the stat sheet showing just two assist per game. Queen’s passing creativity, anticipation, and feel show up all over the tape dating back to his days at Montverde. With an increased usage as the hub of sets and early offense — as well as better players around him — expect to see Queen’s assist numbers make a considerable leap in the NBA that put him amongst one of the best big man passers in the league.

Functional Athleticism: This is where I most deviate from the consensus on Queen. The popular sentiment is that he isn’t an explosive athlete and that that will hold him back in the NBA. While him not being an explosive athlete from a raw vertical leaping and straight-line speed standpoint is true, I couldn’t disagree more with the narrative that he is unathletic. What Queen lacks in vertical explosion and straight line speed he makes up for in other areas. Queen is extremely quick and agile at his size allowing him to slide his feet on the perimeter vs. just about any five man and most fours. Queen has made notable improvements to his body over the last few years and continues to do so which could lead to even more untapped athletic development. Queen also has shown the ability at times to stifle some guards on switches and force them into contested shots or turnovers.

Queen beats defenders off the bounce with a sudden first step as a ball handler. Queen is extremely flexible, coordinated, fluid for a guy his size and makes him a mismatch nightmare for slower footed and paint-oriented bigs. Queen’s flexibility combined with his touch allows for him to be a dynamic and versatile finisher around the rim, finishing shots at awkward angles and off rhythm. A great example of this is on his game-winner to send Maryland to the Sweet 16.

Areas of Concern

Shooting: Queen was effectively a non-threat as a perimeter jump shooter throughout the season. He did however knock down five of his seven threes on the season in his last four games of the season, going 5-for-11 from beyond the arc in that span. Queen finished the year just a pedestrian 35% on mid-range jumpers and just 20% from three. Queen did however shoot 76.6% from the foul line and as we have touched on has elite touch around the rim. That combined with his overall feel lend to some optimism that he may develop a reliable jump shot over time. Shooting is a massive swing skill for Queen and his overall upside. A jumper that defenses have to respect would allow him to even further bend defenses and leverage the other areas of his game — as well as add a dimension to his game and allow him to fit in more lineup context if he can be a spacer.

Interior Defense and Physical Tools: Queen’s lack of size standing at just 6-foot-10 with just a 7-foot wingspan coupled with his lack of vertical athleticism causes him issues defending against bigger centers in the post and limits his ability to protect the rim and contest shots. He does have solid timing and hands that allow him to deflect some passes and block shots against drivers and as a weakside defender. Queens attention and intensity on the defensive end came and went at times throughout the season. These limitations will likely mean that he’ll guard fours — at least early in his career — ideally next to a more traditional rim protector.

Fit with Sixers

Derik Queen has been one of the more divisive evaluations amongst scouts and analysts this draft cycle. Some have their doubts and claim he is a tweener without a position, lacks the necessary vertical pop, defensive impact, and believe without shooting development his game isn’t a fit for today’s NBA. But his diverse skillset, blend of passing, ball handling, and scoring make him the ultimate chess piece. Queen’s advantage creation and playmaking give him all the makings of a dynamic offensive hub and initiator with legitimate star upside.

Queen would be a fun fit alongside Joel Embiid and Paul George in the Sixers’ frontcourt in the present and would give the Sixers a core running mate alongside Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain for the foreseeable future. The shooting from the Sixers’ guards coupled with Queen’s passing — and Queen ideally paired alongside a primary rim protector and stretch big like Embiid — make his fit with the Sixers even more enticing.

I rest my case. Draft Derik Queen and reap the rewards.