“I’ve talked to a lot of people about it,” Lloyd said. “Koa has made big progress on that this year, and I think sometimes you get in this draft process and maybe you feel like you have to show things that aren’t your strength, and prove to people you can do certain things, and maybe that’s not the case.
“But I’ve talked to Phoenix about Koa as a player and they value Koa for all the things that he does. I think if you’re doing this draft on impacting winning — and that’s where I’d like to start — Koa to me is a guy who’s a top-10 type pick, definitely lottery-type impact. So I’m glad the Suns saw those things in him. Those are the things we saw.”
During his postdraft news conference, Gregory rattled off a list of Peat’s accomplishments almost in press release fashion: The four state championships at Perry, four gold medals with USA Basketball, the 36 wins he helped UA get last season, and being named the Most Outstanding Player in the West Regional.
“I can go on and on,” Gregory said. “But the most important thing is when we look at what we constantly draft and bring into our organization, Koa Peat has all of it.”
Still, other NBA teams may not have felt the same way. Peat slipped on draft night, nearly out of the first round despite holding a hopeful gathering with friends and family.
He had to watch 29 guys get picked before him.
Normally much more expressive on the court than he is at press conferences, Peat this time opened up a little about that experience.
Koa Peat answers questions during an introductory press conference at the Verizon 5G Performance Center, in Phoenix, on June 26, 2026.
Mark Henle/The Republic
Mark Henle, Arizona Republic
“It was tough,” Peat said. “Obviously, as a competitor, you see other guys that you think you’re better than getting drafted ahead of you.