Suns Draft Koa Peat at #30 in 2026 NBA Draft

[leclerc]

if my last name was peat and i had a son i would name him rince andre

Took some time but I got it.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

Took some time but I got it.

not my best work

 

[Adrian]

Shane Young
@YoungNBA
·
2h
Totally understand it’s just a press conference, but couldn’t be more impressed with Koa Peat and the type of person the Suns are bringing in. Was able to see him in the community for about an hour this morning, and you can tell how much of a people and family-first guy he is, which is a huge part of the Suns DNA this team is looking for.

From the presser, he also seems very measured and focused on playing the right way, which will be a valuable trait to have playing for Jordan Ott. Phoenix is getting a rookie who can leverage his strengths right away for a winning team, but one who’s also self-aware and dedicated to improving any weaknesses.

 

[Adrian]

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[Cheesebeef]

can be shocking when people use all time greats as comps..
My opinion,...and what I think others are trying to say...is that the Suns have been in need of a big man that plays like a big man...and they just got one.

Except he does he really play like a big man? His 5.7 rebounds per game show that he didn’t really play big on the boards. And his size, bulk and solid athleticism in college meant he could “play big” on offense there but how many times have we seen tweeners like he not be able to do the same when he wasn’t going against the best in the world every night versus college players?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Did you not see his vertical - he is a very good athlete, not quite at Gordons level - but 90% of it.

Size / Measurements

Metric	Aaron Gordon	Koa Peat	Edge
Height	6'8" (listed) / 6'7.5" barefoot (draft)	6'7" barefoot / 6'8" listed	Very similar (Gordon slight edge in shoes)
Weight	235 lbs	245 lbs	Peat (stockier)
Wingspan	6'11.75"	6'11.25"	Gordon (tiny edge)
Standing Reach	~8'9" (draft)	8'8"	Gordon
Frame	Athletic, lean-muscular	Broad-shouldered, thick/strong	Peat (more NFL-tight end build)

Athletic Testing

Drill	Aaron Gordon (2014)	Koa Peat (2026)	Edge
No-Step / Standing Vertical	32.5"	34.5" (T-5th)	Peat
Max Vertical	39.0"	37.5" (T-27th)	Gordon
3/4 Court Sprint	3.27 seconds	3.16 seconds (T-12th)	Peat
Lane Agility	10.81 seconds	Not top-ranked (details limited)	Gordon
Shuttle Run	2.76 seconds (best overall)	3.39 seconds (weaker)	Gordon

Bottom line - they are actually pretty close to the same.

Again, we all know there’s a difference between what’s measured with tape and a stopwatch and what we see when the whistle blows and we see how that athleticism transfers to the court.

I’ve seen him on the court. You literallly said you didnt really watch him. He ain’t like two of the best athletic bigs to ever play the game once the whistle blows. I mean, if TJ is saying that about a U of A guy, believe him.

 

[Adrian]

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[Carolinacacti]

Except he does he really play like a big man? His 5.7 rebounds per game show that he didn’t really play big on the boards. And his size, bulk and solid athleticism in college meant he could “play big” on offense there but how many times have we seen tweeners like he not be able to do the same when he wasn’t going against the best in the world every night versus college players?

Tobe Awaka took all the boards. Did you forget that. Or did it not match your agenda.

 

[oaken1]

Except he does he really play like a big man? His 5.7 rebounds per game show that he didn’t really play big on the boards. And his size, bulk and solid athleticism in college meant he could “play big” on offense there but how many times have we seen tweeners like he not be able to do the same when he wasn’t going against the best in the world every night versus college players?

True...just by those drills they showed the kid doesnt seem to really bang much... a guy at 250 pounds shouldnt be afraid of contact...especially on offense.
I only watched a little of the guy and he seemed to use his body well but that didnt show out in the drills
so...I could, and probably am, be completely wrong on the kid, lol.

but at 19...there is still hope that he can become a banger.
im just looking for the bright side in the draft..the suns have a bit more hope than the redbirds...but not much

 

[clyde2tw]

True...just by those drills they showed the kid doesnt seem to really bang much... a guy at 250 pounds shouldnt be afraid of contact...especially on offense.
I only watched a little of the guy and he seemed to use his body well but that didnt show out in the drills
so...I could, and probably am, be completely wrong on the kid, lol.

but at 19...there is still hope that he can become a banger.
im just looking for the bright side in the draft..the suns have a bit more hope than the redbirds...but not much

Not much back-to-basket plays can be found in today's NBA. Peat has good handle and can score nicely in the paint through contacts. He uses his weight well.

 

[Carolinacacti]

We'll probably Krivas

 

[GatorAZ]

The Suns are more interesting with Koa than they were with those two 2nd round picks. I’m waiting to see if he dumped that crappy pre-draft workout shooting motion for summer league.

 

[Yuma]

not my best work

I saw he took his brother Ree Peat to meet the Suns.

 

[Yuma]

The Suns are more interesting with Koa than they were with those two 2nd round picks. I’m waiting to see if he dumped that crappy pre-draft workout shooting motion for summer league.

I am watching his highlights from last season at UofA and we aren't even talking about Bridges hitch. It honestly wasn't that bad. It was stupid to fix it precombine. That's the only reason he dropped in the draft. I don't know if it was the agent, private coach, or whoever, but that was horrible advice.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I didn’t say I agreed. Just communicating what he said.

Larry Johnson was built different. His shoulders and arms were way bigger than Koa. And Larry might have been one of the most athletic players ever, including Zion.

The eye roll was for the comparison, not a criticism of you posting it.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Tobe Awaka took all the boards. Did you forget that. Or did it not match your agenda.

All that proves is that awaka is a better rebounder than peat. That doesn’t help support anything in regards peat being a better rebounder than his numbers show.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

True...just by those drills they showed the kid doesnt seem to really bang much... a guy at 250 pounds shouldnt be afraid of contact...especially on offense.
I only watched a little of the guy and he seemed to use his body well but that didnt show out in the drills
so...I could, and probably am, be completely wrong on the kid, lol.

but at 19...there is still hope that he can become a banger.
im just looking for the bright side in the draft..the suns have a bit more hope than the redbirds...but not much

Oh I think he plays physically. He isn’t afraid to try to bully defenders. It just isn’t as effective against taller longer defenders.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Not much back-to-basket plays can be found in today's NBA. Peat has good handle and can score nicely in the paint through contacts. He uses his weight well.

Agreed

 

[Dr. Jones]

Love this kid and love this pick. And I'd recommend no one look at his rebounding stats from college since Krivas is a plus-plus rebounder and Toby Awocka was probably the best division-1 rebounder since the pandemic. Hard to clean the glass like a demon when you're in that situation.

With that being said...... He was not the alpha on his team, shoots 65% from the FT line, and his three-point shot is broken. He MUST get to 32%/35% from the 3pt line if he ever wants to be a significant piece of any team's future.

He's super young and much further along than the Kan-man. He and Oso will probably never create a successful lineup combination and we probably shouldn't play them together very often.

In short..... Love the heart of this story, but am scared at the reality of it. He has a lot of work and refinement ahead of him. Hopefully it all works out.... I'll be rooting for him.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Koa shouldn't have cut the hair. If Williams & Dillion let out the braids we could have had an all-timer hairstyle team.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Tobe Awaka took all the boards. Did you forget that. Or did it not match your agenda.

My agenda? Lol. What agenda would that be? I’m also a Zona basketball fan.

 

[Cheesebeef]

True...just by those drills they showed the kid doesnt seem to really bang much... a guy at 250 pounds shouldnt be afraid of contact...especially on offense.
I only watched a little of the guy and he seemed to use his body well but that didnt show out in the drills
so...I could, and probably am, be completely wrong on the kid, lol.

but at 19...there is still hope that he can become a banger.
im just looking for the bright side in the draft..the suns have a bit more hope than the redbirds...but not much

I feel that, especially the last comment re: Suns v the crushing ineptitude otherwise known as the Arizona Cardinals.

The key to the suns next year is seeing a leap from Fleming/Malauach. I really loved what I saw from them last year in limited time and hoping it wasn’t the fool’s gold it possibly looks like we got from Dunn after his promising rookie debut.

 

[Carolinacacti]

My agenda? Lol. What agenda would that be? I’m also a Zona basketball fan.

You rote against the home. Just may obiinoby

 

[JCSunsfan]

The eye roll was for the comparison, not a criticism of you posting it.

Got it.

 

[95pro]

I know it’s a bit of a reach but does his back to rim, and mid/close range game remind you a bit of iso Joe? Same build.