Drew Peterson has agreed to a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The six-foot-nine forward spent the last two seasons in that arrangement with the Boston Celtics.
During his tenure with the latter organization, Peterson produced 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest in 7.5 minutes across 28 games. He also knocked down 42.1 percent of the 1.4 threes he hoisted.
In Charlotte, he'll reunite with Hornets head coach Charles Lee. The latter was Boston's lead assistant during their run to Banner 18 in 2024-25. Lee is changing the Hornets' culture and helping grow a young nucleus that now features LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and this year's first-round picks, Kon Knueppel, drafted fourth overall, and the No. 29 selection, Liam McNeeley.
Helping Lee accomplish that are assistant coaches Blaine Mueller and Jermaine Bucknor. The former was the bench boss for the Maine Celtics during their run to the G League Finals in the 2024-25 campaign. It was the first and only time the franchise has reached that stage.
Before he went with Lee to the Queen City, Bucknor was a player development coach in Boston. Shortly after the news of his departure, Celtics assistant coach D.J. MacLeay shared with this author how much Bucknor's growth in his time with the Celtics impressed him.
"I think he -- from maybe anyone on our staff -- grew the most from start to finish last year," said D.J. MacLeay. "I think it's really, really cool that he gets to go be an assistant coach with the Hornets. We're going to miss him a lot."
Now Peterson reunites with Lee, Mueller, and Bucknor in a well-calculated decision as he starts the next chapter of his career.
What are the Hornets getting in Drew Peterson?
The Libertyville, Illinois, native spent most of the past two seasons with Boston's G League affiliate in Maine. However, he earned more opportunities with the parent club in the 2024-25 campaign compared to when he first came aboard.
He particularly impressed in an early December loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, contributing eight points, four rebounds, and one steal in 25 minutes of floor time. He also provided hard-nosed defense that impressed his head coach.
"I thought he had some really good defensive possessions, defending without fouling," voiced Joe Mazzulla post-game. "He was physical, he's smart. He has a knack for the ball, whether it's offensive rebounding or moving without the basketball to get open, and I think he works really hard."
Those traits, paired with his size and sharpshooting, are the tools enabling Peterson to stick in the NBA on two-way deals. They're also the keys to his hopes of one day earning a standard contract.