Micah

Peavy

Peavy was waived by the Grizzlies earlier this week and went unclaimed. Now the former 18th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will try to carve out a role for himself on the Thunder. He reportedly picked Oklahoma City over Toronto as the Raptors had also offered him a two-way contract.

The 18th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Clayton was traded from Utah to Memphis as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal in February. Even with the Grizzlies’ point guard rotation in flux due to injuries and a desire to trade Ja Morant, Clayton couldn’t carve out a consistent role in Memphis. Earlier Monday, the Grizzlies reportedly hoped to trade WCJ, but they couldn’t make a deal happen. As for Peavy, the Grizzlies acquired him from the Pelicans in the summer along with Jordan Hawkins, who was waived earlier in the preseason.

Acquired from the Pelicans in early September, Peavy recently sprained his ankle. According to Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman, it will be “a while” before the team gets to see the 2025 second-round pick on the court. Peavy’s absence won’t affect fantasy basketball, but it does mean one less wing competing for rotation minutes when camp opens.

The 40th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Peavy averaged 15.0 minutes per game across 61 appearances for the Pelicans as a rookie. He averaged 4.3 points per game in those appearances, shooting 38.5 percent from the field. With the Grizzlies rebuilding, there may be opportunities for Peavy to contribute, but he’s unlikely to be a consistent actor in fantasy basketball next season.

The lone pick from the Pelicans 2025 class that suited up for summer league, Peavy was one of the best players on the floor for New Orleans in this game. Peavy was an effective defender as a rookie, so seeing him produce on offense is encouraging, even if he has a long way to go to crack the Pelicans’ rotation this season.

A 20-point scorer in two of his last three games, Peavy finished Sunday’s defeat with a new season-high in points. The rookie wing shot 50 percent from the field and recorded a complete stat line, taking advantage of the extended minutes. While Peavy’s redraft league value for next season will remain extremely low due to the Pelicans’ wing depth, he’ll be worth taking a flier on in dynasty leagues.

While Bey was not on the Pelicans’ injury report for Tuesday’s win over the Jazz, the Pelicans decided not to play him. Micah Peavy moved into the starting lineup and had the best offensive showing of his rookie season. Look for him to play heavy minutes again if Bey isn’t available.

Peavy has not been a consistent member of the Pelicans’ rotation this season, which makes this part of the season that much more important for him. The 20 points were a season-high for the rookie wing, who finished a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Peavy’s contract for the 2025-26 season is guaranteed, so he is secure in that regard. The goal now is to solidify a spot in the rotation for himself.

Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey and Zion Williamson are active for Tuesday’s game, but none are expected to play according to interim head coach James Borrego. Fears is the lone holdover from the lineup that started Sunday’s loss to the Magic, with Poole, Peavy, Queen and Looney all starting.

Bey is absent from the Pelicans’ injury report, which makes this a bad situation for fantasy managers in active leagues. Micah Peavy should play extended minutes, especially with Herb Jones and Zion Williamson also not expected to play. Like Bey, Jones and Williamson are not on the injury report.