Arizona five-star freshman Koa Peat heard his name called at No. 30 overall by the Phoenix Suns in Tuesday night’s 2026 NBA Draft, ending a brief college career that could have benefited from another season in Tucson.
As Peat slipped out of the lottery and into the back end of the first round, so did the value of his rookie contract, raising questions about whether returning to Arizona for a sophomore campaign might have boosted both his draft stock and long-term earning potential.
Based on market value for elite front court players, Peat could have made in the neighborhood of $5 million for another go-around after helping the Wildcats reach the Final Four for the first time since 2001 as a heavy contributor this season. The All-Big 12 forward was at one point considered a potential top-10 selection, but his draft stock began to fall given questions about his shooting ability.
Despite worries, Peat remained in the draft.
“He cost himself millions and millions of dollars, now he is a first-round pick at the end of the day and I think the situation he’s going to is probably a good thing,” CBS Sports national college basketball analyst Matt Norlander said Tuesday. “At least he got picked, barely, in the first round where there were a few guys including Duke’s Isaiah Evans, the only green room invitee who’s going to be sitting there waiting to hear his name called on day two.”
A source close to Peat told Norlander via text that “Klutch (Sports) tricked off millions for him” before his slide.
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CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish said Peat walked through the door of uncertainty, rather than take the sure thing as one of college basketball’s highest-paid players at Arizona next season. He mentioned in college basketball’s NIL era, it’s smarter for a player to enter the transfer portal upon their NBA Draft announcement to at least test waters and see what level of lucrative opportunities are out there.
Peat did not enter the transfer portal at season’s end and essentially heard one retention offer from the Wildcats before betting on himself.
“This was all the calculation,” Parrish said. “There’s $5 million for you at Arizona to be the best player in the Big 12 on a preseason top 10 team or, buddy good luck. His now base salary next year will be $3 million so his problems are smaller than most of ours, but I still think he was just stubborn to a fault. He’sa n example of somebody who decided a while ago they’re going to spend one year in college and only one year in college.”
Leaving another season at Arizona on table
Peat might eventually become a terrific NBA player, but his decision to leave college after one season feels a bit premature given the current landscape.
In an era where elite players can earn significant NIL money by entering the transfer portal and signing elsewhere or getting a salary boost at the current school, Peat could’ve chose another season with the Wildcats to continue building his brand while developing physically without the pressure of the professional grind.
Another year in Tucson would’ve made a lot of sense after Peat showed flashes as a freshman, averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
However, he wasn’t a dominant force on a national stage in the way some recent one-and-done stars have been and another year under Tommy Lloyd would’ve given him an opportunity to become the centerpiece of a championship contender, improve his perimeter game and prove he can consistently take over games against top competition.
Those are traits NBA front offices covet and perhaps would’ve made him a lottery selection 2027. For a player with Peat’s talent, patience often pays off. Peat told CBS Sports at the NBA combine that Lloyd was supportive of whatever decision he chose and his primary focus prior to his rookie season in the league was working on his jump shot.
“Just trying to shoot the ball the same way every time,” Peat said in reference to his points of emphasis. “I’m working with Chris Johnson, and I feel like my workouts are going good. I didn’t shoot well on Monday, but that’s how shooting goes some days. I feel like my midrange (form) is kind of the same. I’ve always had a higher release in midrange.
“Thought I shot the mid-range pretty solid. In my 3, trying to bring it down a little bit lower and to get more arc. It didn’t really shoot it well, but, you know, can’t get too high or too low about it.”
Peat may ultimately prove the teams who passed on him wrong, but from the outside looking in, another season at Arizona appeared to offer more benefits than risks, especially financially and from a development standpoint.
