The Memphis Grizzlies made two roster cuts today by waiving both Walter Clayton Jr. and Micah Peavy. Both of these cuts are personal ones for me, with Clayton Jr. being my favorite college basketball player ever at the University of Florida and Peavy being the pride and joy of my New Orleans Pelicans coverage last season.
All that aside, Peavy truly is someone the Los Angeles Lakers need to get on the phone. Bring him in on a two-way deal immediately.
His rookie season counting stats don’t scream must-pick-up player, but the eye test, as someone who watched nearly every Peavy possession last season, is that he’d be an awesome developmental swing. If the Lakers can land Peavy, cutting ties with Chris Manon is a small price to pay, because Peavy is the exact archetype of player you want alongside Luka Doncic.
Rob Pelinka needs to get Micah Peavy to the Lakers
This offseason, LA made several additions to bolster their perimeter defense. Between Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams, they have two solid point-of-attack players on top of someone like Adou Thiero to roll out with Luka. Why not add another into the fold?
As I mentioned, Peavy’s stats last season weren’t pretty: 4.3 points per game and shot 38.5 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from deep. But he played 61 games for a reason. It was not just because the Pelicans weren’t good, but because the defensive impact he brought was unlike anyone else on the roster outside of Herb Jones.
Peavy is tough, gritty, and switchable. Those are all things that a team with Luka can never have too much of. He fights over screens, slides his feet really well, has a strong frame, and really good instincts in passing lanes that can naturally help him be a fast-break starter.
Offensively, he’s also not going to be a big mistake player. He’s a smart cutter who thrives off the ball, has some athleticism, and showed encouraging signs as a floor spacer during Summer League. He is a smart passer who fits that connective passer archetype, and he rarely fails to make that extra pass.
Two-way deals are all about the mix of upside with the ability to contribute to winning. Peavy showed he fits that last season in New Orleans.
The Lakers have way higher aspirations this season than where the Pelicans ended up last season. However, if Peavy gave the Pelicans 60-plus good games, he can give LA 30 good games. That's all you ever really need from a two-way player unless something goes horribly wrong with your season.
At 25, Peavy’s NBA career should be just getting started. By waiving Manon, the Lakers can keep his career alive. Peavy fits the mold of a player you want to surround a superstar like Doncic with for the long-term, and it would be a mistake to let another team snatch him up.
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