It has certainly been a wild ride for former USC guard Drew Peterson since his career in Cardinal and Gold came to an end. After playing his final game as a Trojan in March of 2023, Peterson was not selected in that year’s NBA draft. He briefly signed with the Miami Heat, but was quickly waived and assigned to their G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Peterson impressed during his time in Sioux Falls, enough so that the Boston Celtics signed him to a two-way contract last December.
Peterson spent the majority of last year with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G-League affiliate. However, he did appear in three games for Boston during their run to the title and received a championship ring in October for his contributions.
With the Celtics dealing with injuries early on this season, Peterson has had the opportunity to get some legitimate minutes for the big league club. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers (in Cleveland) in a recent matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams, Peterson played 25 minutes, by far the most of his NBA career to date. He impressed during his opportunity, scoring eight points while also recording four rebounds.
Two days later against the Miami Heat, Peterson once again saw significant action, logging 26 minutes. Again, he made the most of it, racking up seven points, seven rebounds, and an assist.
When the Celtics get healthy again, Peterson will likely find his way back to the bench, if not Maine. But his performances in recent weeks were an encouraging sign, and showed that he could have a legitimate future in the league.