Pelicans Rookie Derik Queen Calls Himself The Blizzard On Topps

Merlin sees New Orleans rookie center Derik Queen signing a 1-of-1 Topps card calling himself "The Blizzard." His initials, DQ, line up nicely with Dairy Queen, where he had an NIL deal at Maryland, and teammates already use the Blizzard nickname. On the court he’s been a bright spot, averaging 12.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 48.9 percent. Merlin senses more than a cute nickname. When a young player couples a catchy brand with real production, marketing and team storytelling follow. The existing Dairy Queen link makes a formal endorsement or merch push likely, and New Orleans could lean into the persona to grow Queen’s profile — provided his play keeps climbing.