Raptors’ draft option at ninth overall: Derik Queen
Welcome back to the 2025 draft series. If you missed it, please check out the previous report on Khaman Maluach. Tre and Samson have also been covering some hot names in this year’s draft cycle, so maybe head on over there after you’re done reading today’s scouting report.
The Raptors have interviewed Maryland’s skilled big man Derik Queen, though it’s important to note that the draft combine interviews are assigned randomly by the NBA. I can imagine that the Raptors will nonetheless be eager to bring in Queen for an individual workout over the next handful of weeks.
Derik Queen – 6’10 Big – University of Maryland – Age: 20
The Offence
Queen’s incredibly varied shot profile on offence helped him lead Maryland to a Sweet 16 loss to my Florida Gators, and his footwork is really quite advanced for a young big. He’s quite nimble on drives and showcases good body control. He often carried the ball up the floor for Maryland as well, showcasing his comfortable handle.
In fact, to say that most facets of his offensive repertoire are advanced wouldn’t be a mischaracterization. He has pretty solid vision and ambidexterity with his passing, and has flashed some creative brilliance on occasion. Running the floor, making plays in transition, and filling that creative niche between connector and play-finisher will undoubtedly have teams eager to call Queen’s name on draft night.
The turnover numbers are a concern, and it lowers some of my optimism about Queen’s potential as a playmaker. A negative AST/TO ratio is something you never want to see, but I have faith that proper discipline and game planning can help Queen learn when he should be making his passes. Coaches will need to take this step in his development seriously if they want to get the most out of him long-term.
He isn’t a shooter. While he has made a habit of taking and making long 2-pointers, and his 76% from the free throw line on over 200 attempts is nothing to scoff at, I can’t really see him becoming much more than a 1-or-2 3PA per game kind of player down the line. He’ll likely be respected outside the paint nonetheless..
The Defence
It’s rough. I can’t see Queen being a difference maker on the defensive end in his career. As a big, you’d want him to be far more comfortable protecting the rim than he is. Queen can use his quick hands to be a bit of a pest, and he holds his own against smaller players, but he’s also a bit of a ball watcher when the play starts to move above shoulder level. Queen also has long and frustrating periods of mental lapses where it just doesn’t seem like he knows what he’s doing. He isn’t a leaper and it remains to be seen if he can hang with the faster NBA players on the defensive end. Based on his athletic combine testing, it’ll be understandable if scouts start to tug at their collars when Queen’s name comes up.
The positional question is another issue entirely. Queen mostly played beside another big, Julian Reese, at Maryland. So is he more of a 4? I can’t really see it. He’s got the weight for a 5, but even then he’s still undersized at that position too. Ideally you have 4 other shooters including a defensive big beside him, but that’s a big ask for any team in the NBA.
The Fit
Queen’s fit on the Raptors is odd. Given that he’s flashed some higher-level passing ability, it would make sense to target and include him in a movement focused offence. The Raptors have been enjoying more connective players in their offence as of late, which could make Queen an appealing target. Their big-man offence has been quite lacking for a few years now.
At the same time, putting him beside Scottie Barnes in the frontcourt as your lone big is begging for a defensive disaster. I actually like his fit beside Jakob Poeltl, as Jak provides a defensive backstop and allows Queen to do his thing as a connector on offence, but playing those two with Scottie will give you three non-shooters on the floor at the same time, making things a bit rougher there. He’d naturally come off the bench as a rookie so hopefully these concerns get ironed out before he would get the call up to the starting lineup.
The Conclusion
I shouldn’t like Queen as a prospect. A tweener big who can’t really defend or shoot outside of 18 feet would rarely catch my eye in any other class. However, an efficient big with a varied shot profile inside the arc, a blossoming playmaking game, and elite touch? I may be able to overlook some of the defensive shortcomings given his unique skillset for his position. Granted, I think that Queen really needs to land in a perfect developmental situation, or he could be looking at a very short NBA career.
Expected pick range: 6-14. Don’t see a chance Queen gets taken in the top 5, but it’s equally unlikely he falls out of the lottery.
Brendan’s big board: Late lottery. Queen has an argument for best big in the class based on his varied offensive skills and quick hands alone, though the defensive concerns and questionable positional fit keep me from comfortably placing him in my top 10. As mentioned before, he needs a perfect situation to capitalize on his strengths and mitigate his weaknesses, but there’s enough here where I feel comfortable with the value he provides as a late lottery pick. I don’t think he would be my first choice for the Raptors at 9th overall, but he’s on the shortlist.
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