The Phoenix Suns acquired Koa Peat with the 30th pick in the NBA Draft partly because they are betting, much like offense-challenged 2014 Arizona first-round pick Aaron Gordon, that Peat will learn to shoot with more length and accuracy over the next three or four seasons.
Arizona's Koa Peat answers questions at his NBA Combine media interview on May 13, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
Peat already possesses first-round abilities in size, strength, defense, basketball IQ, attitude and a background of success. He's a much better prospect than Arizona's Zeke Nnaji, the No. 22 overall pick in 2020, who has not progressed through the NBA as a deep member of the Denver Nuggets bench, who has already been paid $28 million by the Nuggets and is owed $7.5 million next season. Nnaji made five 3-pointers in his UA season; Peat made seven.
Then there's this: Of the 10 men drafted No. 30 in the NBA the last 10 years, all remain in the league. And they are mostly obscure names that didn't ring a bell on draft night. They are: Yanic Niederhauser of Penn State; Baylor Scheierman of Creighton; Kobe Brown of Missouri; Peyton Watson of UCLA; Santi Aldama of Loyola-Maryland; Desmond Bane of TCU; Kevin Porter of USC; Omari Spellman of Villanova; Josh Hart of Villanova; and Damian Jones of Vanderbilt.
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Patience is required for Peat, however. For example, when Aldama was drafted 30th out of Loyola-Maryland, he averaged 4.1 points as a rookie, 9.0 the second year, 10.7 the third season and 14.0 his fourth year.
Peat will someday be an NBA starter, but it might not be until 2028 or thereabouts.
