Georgetown basketball has a new hub in the NBA: Memphis, Tennessee.
Jordan Hawkins and Micah Peavy — both products of the Hoyas program — were shipped from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Memphis Grizzlies in a four-player deal ahead of the 2026 season, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The Pelicans sent Hawkins, Peavy, a second-round pick, and a second-round pick swap to Memphis in exchange for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson.
The move was driven by New Orleans cap math, not performance. The Pelicans needed to clear salary space to complete the signing of Bennedict Mathurin, and Hawkins' contract was the price of admission. It's a familiar story for fringe roster players heading into a new season — the deal says less about what Hawkins did wrong and more about what New Orleans needed to do next.
Hawkins: A New Start in Memphis
Hawkins, a former first-round pick, arrives in Memphis as a shooting guard with legitimate three-and-D upside. The Grizzlies land him as a relatively inexpensive piece with room to grow — Sports Illustrated's trade grade framed the deal as a reasonable value acquisition for Memphis, which gets a young former lottery-range talent without surrendering much of substance.
Whether Hawkins earns meaningful rotation minutes will depend on how he fits alongside Memphis's core, but the change of scenery gives him a clean slate and a franchise that has shown willingness to develop young wings.
Peavy: Fighting for a Roster Spot
The more uncertain situation belongs to Peavy. Also traded in the deal, the Georgetown alum faces a steeper challenge simply making Memphis's final roster. Sports Illustrated asked the pointed question openly: can Peavy stick around in Memphis? He arrives amid a roster crunch, which means the Hoyas' second representative in the trade may need a strong preseason just to hold onto a job.
It's a precarious position, but not an unfamiliar one for Peavy, who has spent his young NBA career finding ways to stay on rosters through hustle and defensive versatility.
The Bigger Picture for Georgetown
With Hawkins and Peavy now teammates in Memphis, Georgetown quietly has one of the more interesting alumni clusters on a single NBA roster heading into 2026. The Hoyas don't always generate first-page NBA headlines, but this week's trade puts two of their own at the center of one of the preseason's more discussed roster moves.
The rest of Georgetown's active NBA contingent — James Akinjo (Bucks), Jeff Green (Rockets), Mac McClung (Bulls), Jamorko Pickett (Nuggets), Otto Porter Jr. (Raptors), and Ömer Yurtseven (Warriors) — are spread across the league, but all eyes from Hilltop faithful this week are pointed squarely at FedExForum.
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