During the 2025 offseason, one thing has been evident: the New Orleans Pelicans' front office appears to be leaning toward an offense-heavy system. During this summer, the Pelicans traded for Jordan Poole and drafted two of the draft's poorer defenders in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
So, when they made the selection of Micah Peavy 40th overall, I was shocked and upset. It seemed like that was Joe Dumars' way of acknowledging that he had been drafting purely offensive talents, so he needed to reach for a defensive stopper high in the second round. At the time, Peavy's range across mock drafts was anywhere from 45 to undrafted.
Since Peavy was mocked as late as he was, I saw this pick as an extreme reach. However, after seeing his play in summer league, it's clear his playstyle fills the Pelicans' huge need for a point of attack defender off the bench.
During his two appearances in Vegas, he averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.
Peavy looked like an NBA-level defender from the opening tip of summer league. He was playing tough defensively, giving it his all every possession, and playing with intensity you could feel through the TV. Peavy is a lengthy disruptor who causes turnovers and makes opposing offensive players extremely uncomfortable.
Peavy should be a staple in New Orleans rotation from day one
When looking at the Pelicans' depth chart, their wing rotation is very thin. Outside of Herb Jones and Trey Murphy, who both will be starters on opening night, New Orleans' only other wing is Saddiq Bey. Meaning there's an opening for Peavy to be part of the rotation on opening night.
Other than Jones and Jose Alvarado, this team lacks an elite perimeter defender, which is where Peavy can come in. While his offensive game needs polishing, he is coming in at 24 years old with experience and an NBA body that is ready to shut down the league's best scorers.
I understand that fans will want to see both Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears get minutes right off the bat, but if fans want to see wins, then Peavy should be the rookie getting the most minutes. While Fears and Queen are both good scorers, the Pelicans already have enough bucket-getters between Williamson, Murphy, Poole, Hawkins, and Jones. And they are in desperate need of players that can defend, which is Peavy's biggest skill.
If the Pelicans plan on being competitive in the West next season, playing Micah Peavy can help them reach that goal. New Orleans is in dire need of players who can generate stops and turnovers, and the 24-year-old wing is exactly the answer to those problems coming off the bench in the 2025-26 season.