Arizona’s Koa Peat declaring for 2026 NBA Draft

Arizona Wildcats freshman forward Koa Peat is declaring for the NBA Draft, he announced on Instagram on Friday.

 

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The Gilbert Perry High School alum played a key role in Arizona’s Final Four run this year, averaging 14.1 points on 52.8% shooting. He added 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

He was named to the Big 12 All-Freshmen team alongside teammate Brayden Burries and was earned a Third-Team All-Big 12 nod.

Peat then added Most Outstanding Player and West All-Region honors in the NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward averaged 17.2 points on 48.5% shooting with 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in five NCAA Tournament games.

He, along with 2025-26 teammates Motiejus Krivas, Jaden Bradley and Burries, have all received NBA Draft love, with their names popping up in mock drafts.

In ESPN analyst Jeremy Woo’s mock draft ahead of the NCAA Tournament, he had Peat going No. 19 overall to the Charlotte Hornets.

Burries and Krivas also went in the first round of Woo’s mock draft, followed by Bradley in the second round.

Peat heads to the New York Knicks at No. 25 in Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O’Connor’s mock draft published last week (April 2).

With Peat and others expected to enter the draft, the Wildcats will have a new-look starting lineup under head coach Tommy Lloyd, who signed a new contract extension with the program before Arizona’s Final Four game against Michigan after North Carolina interest.

McDonald’s All-American Co-MVP and five-star recruit Caleb Holt figures to play a key role in helping build that next iteration.

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