Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd 'really proud' of how Wildcats fared during NBA Draft week

Tommy Lloyd had trouble following it, too. While the Arizona coach said Friday he was "really proud" of his players and program, after three UA players were drafted and two others signed free agent deals, he described a somewhat dizzying journey getting there.

First, guard Brayden Burries went to Milwaukee with the No. 10 pick. That was expected and pretty clean cut.

Then, Lloyd said, he believed the Suns might trade up even higher to get forward Koa Peat, who they wound up selecting with the No. 30 pick they had acquired, saving Peat from a fall into the second round.

While guard Jaden Bradley went into the second round as expected, at No. 50 to Toronto, Lloyd said he thought the Chicago Bulls might pick up forward Tobe Awaka at 38, but the Bulls traded the rights to that pick away, selecting Purdue guard Braden Smith and immediately shipping him to the Pacers instead.

But the Bulls wound up getting Awaka anyway, signing him to a two-way deal shortly after the draft, while wing Anthony Dell'Orso agreed to a summer-league deal with the Sacramento Kings.

"We knew the Bulls were really interested in (Awaka), and I had a great conversation with their GM earlier that day," Lloyd said Friday. "We felt like there was a real opportunity he was going to get picked at 38 and obviously they traded that.

"There's so many movings and happenings in that second round that, man, it's hard to keep track of sometimes. So he didn't get drafted there, but he ended up in a situation to where I really feel he was at the top of their board in the second round. It's a great opportunity for Tobe to go represent himself, and fight for his career."

During a post-draft media Zoom interview Friday, Lloyd also broke down his other four players involved this week:

— Lloyd indicated Burries, who was the Wildcats' 17th top 10 pick, would likely have slipped no further than 11, because the Golden State Warriors (and coach Steve Kerr) owned that pick.

"Going 10th to the Bucks is an accomplishment," Lloyd said. "Brayden was in the mix with lot of teams in that area, and there might have been a certain guy that has a lot of interest in Arizona basketball that was picking kind of right after the Bucks. I know they were really interested in him, as well.

"But he's going to a Milwaukee program that has been really stable, and obviously they made some big changes and moved one of the best players in the NBA (Giannis Antetokounmpo), so it looks like it's kind of a restart there. It's just a great opportunity for Brayden to go in as a young player and probably earn a lot of playing time.

"I'm not aware of anything that's been promised, a role or anything like that, but Brayden is a guy that we think is ready to play in the NBA, and he ended up in a situation where they have a need. It's a great opportunity for a rookie to go in there from Day 1, get real reps and live bullets, and kind of learn from their own mistakes."

— Peat almost slipped out of the first round, but Lloyd said he also might have gone higher and, in any case, now has a good opportunity with his hometown team.

"We're thankful to the Suns for choosing him in the first round," Lloyd said. "Koa, to me, his value is a lot higher than the number he actually got picked at. But that happened for whatever reason, and sometimes that happens to guys in the draft.

"I know they started to try to work trades for Koa a lot earlier than the 30th pick ... they say in the draft it's more important about the situation you end up than actual the number you got picked up, so I think Koa ended up in a situation where they're rebuilding, and it looks like they're rebuilding fast, and they want to do it with tough, hard working blue collar kind of guys.

"Koa fits that billing, and for him to be able to stay in Arizona and play in front of his family, it's a special opportunity. I think I'm sure something Koa is really excited about, and he'll take advantage of it."

— Most of the second-round picks were traded, but the Raptors hung on to Bradley at No. 50.

"Jaden had drawn a lot of interest in the second round from a lot of teams," Lloyd said. "He's a ready-to-play guy. He impacts winning, and I know Toronto was a team that was really high on him. It feels like he has the opportunity to come in there and really carve out a role for himself for that organization over time, so we're excited for JB.

"He's had a long journey. You've got a guy who was McDonald's All-American, had to transfer, came here, played some varying roles, but he stuck with it every step of the way. All of the success that JB has had and is going to have in the future is a tribute to him, his perseverance and his work ethic."

— While Dell'Orso played off the bench last season, he was pivotal in UA's wins over BYU (at McKale), at Houston and against Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament, and his late free-throw shooting clinched UA's second-round win over Oregon that put the Wildcats in the 2025 Sweet 16.

"Honestly, no matter how he played, he was important for us," Lloyd said. "Delly's a guy who puts a lot of pressure on himself and wants to make every shot, and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. Delly single-handedly won probably three or four games for us this year, and there's not too many guys you can point to and say that they were essentially the difference maker on any given night in high-level games.

"So I think Delly's got a great opportunity. He's going to have to navigate this pro game, he's going to get some chances in the summer league. Who knows if he decides to go to the G League or go overseas, or if he can find his way into a two-way contract and eventually a roster spot?

"That's the challenge, and crazier things have happened. I know this: Delly is somebody I would never bet against. This guy is incredibly motivated. He's incredibly tough, and he's incredibly talented. So I'm going to be rooting for him every step of the way."