Richard Jefferson stumps for Pelicans’ Derik Queen to join Team USA after breakout game

Add former NBA forward Richard Jefferson to the growing list of the recently formed Derik Queen Fans Club.

The New Orleans Pelicans rookie has continued to turn heads with his impressive performances. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had high praise for Queen after their matchup last month, while NBA legend Tim Duncan has also taken notice, saying, “I really like that Queen guy.”

Even the Atlanta Falcons started a friendly beef with Queen.

Now, Jefferson has jumped on the bandwagon, even suggesting that the 20-year-old center could be tapped for Team USA.

“You know how bad we need Queen? I bet you if he keeps playing like this, he could be on the Olympic team as one of the bigs,” said Jefferson on “The Road Trippin’ Show.”

“His game is so important. If he continues to progress, he literally could be the big on Team USA or one of the bigs invited for USA Select. Because what he brings, we need so badly for USA basketball. So bad.”

"If he continues to progress, he literally could be the big on the USA team or one of the bigs invited for the USA Select. What he brings we need so bad on USA basketball"

— Richard Jefferson on Derik Queen pic.twitter.com/7Ygzr35T3N

— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) December 10, 2025

Queen tallied his first triple-double on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs, finishing with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He shot 11-of-15 from the field and also had four blocks. The Pelicans, however, lost, 135-132.

The 13th overall pick out of Maryland is averaging 12.9 points on 49.6% shooting, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. Many have marveled at his vision, footwork, and basketball IQ—attributes that are not typically seen in young centers.

With the health issues of Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid and the aging of Bam Adebayo, it’s quite feasible for Queen to earn himself a spot on Team USA in the near future.

He participated in the training camps of Team USA’s youth pool in 2022 and 2023 but didn’t make the final rosters.

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