Tommy Lloyd navigates ‘fine line’ as Koa Peat faces NBA Draft decision deadline

Arizona men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd addressed the delicate balance of navigating the NBA Draft process with Koa Peat, speaking at the Big 12 Spring Business Meetings ahead of Wednesday’s early-entry withdrawal deadline.

Peat has until Wednesday at 8:59 p.m. MST to decide whether to remain in the draft or return to Tucson for his sophomore season.

“Obviously we’ve had a lot of conversations with Koa and his family and we’re going to support whatever decision he ultimately ends up making,” Lloyd reiterated Wednesday.

“I think you just have to preload those conversations as much as you can and you kind of set a criteria. And obviously it’s the player’s race to run, and you have to respect that. But you set a criteria of what’s going to help them make their decision. And then ultimately, you have to support them.”

Despite his early collegiate success, Peat’s draft stock plummeted throughout the season mainly due to questions regarding his perimeter shooting. The forward attempted only 20 3-pointers during his freshman campaign, making seven.

In an effort to address those concerns, Peat reportedly hired Chris Johnson as a shooting coach to alter his mechanics prior to the NBA Draft Combine. However, the physical adjustments led to visible struggles during the pre-draft evaluation period.

At the combine, Peat shot 6 of 25 (24%) in the spot-up shooting drill and 7 of 25 (28%) in the 3-point star drill. He followed that by participating in Klutch Sports’ pro day on May 19, where public footage of his revised shooting form drew criticism from draft analysts. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic reported that Peat “didn’t shoot it well” and noted that the primary concern among scouts was his altered mechanics rather than the statistical results.

The upcoming deadline presents a significant financial decision for the former Gilbert Perry High School star.

Most post-combine mock drafts project Peat as a late first-round selection, which carries a starting salary of approximately $3 million per season under the NBA rookie scale. Conversely, industry estimates place Peat’s potential NIL valuation between $3 million and $5 million if he opts to return to college.

Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd addresses pressure facing Koa Peat

At the Big 12 Spring Business Meetings, Lloyd acknowledged the unique pressure players face when deciding whether to turn professional or return to school.

“I mean, these aren’t easy decisions,” Lloyd said. “In my mind, I think a lot of things in life, you get second chances at. You can pick a school and you can transfer. You can get married, get divorced and get married again. This decision is just, you get one time to really kind of, I guess, cash in your chips, so to speak.

“And so it’s a big decision. And then you have to trust no matter what decision you make. You don’t have a crystal ball.”

If Peat returns to Arizona, he would rejoin Ivan Kharchenkov and Motiejus Krivas, propelling Arizona into the national title conversation, while also possibly allowing him to make more money through NIL. If Peat stays in the draft, he will look to live out his dream of playing in the NBA.

“The responsibility is once you make decisions, you got to figure out a way to make it work,” Lloyd said. “It’s a fine line, and I think college coaches, I think we always get looked at as selfish, trying to keep the players in the program. And, obviously, you want good players and good kids in your program. So yeah, it can make it a delicate situation. There’s no doubt about that.”

Peat is coming off a freshman season where he averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, helping lead the Wildcats to a 36-win season and their first Final Four appearance in 25 years. He earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors, Third-Team All-Big 12 honors, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament’s West Region.

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