Arizona Forward Could Follow 2025 NBA Draftee’s Path

Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona system can be a hard one for youngsters to gain NBA Draft acclaim in.

In 2024, the team sent a senior to the draft in Pelle Larsson at No. 44. They went without a draftee in 2023, largely due to sending a trio of prospects in 2022: Dalen Terry, Christian Koloko and Bennedict Mathurin. Koloko was a junior, Terry a sophomore and Mathurin was the only true freshman in the Lloyd era to become a one-and-done draftee.

Though, that was before Carter Bryant set the blueprint on how to do so in the 2025 NBA Draft. And that very blueprint is one that five-star forward Koa Peat could very well be following this upcoming season.

A 6-foot-8 forward, Bryant had plenty of draft hype coming into the season, but didn’t see an especially strong campaign from a statistical standpoint. He averaged just 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and one block and steal apiece per game in shooting 46% overall.

But Bryant’s overall impact went well beyond the box score. He was one of the team’s best defenders, and capitalized on his limited offensive opportunity often. He limited mistakes and played winning basketball, offering up a 8.8 box-plus-minus — a stat used to measure a player’s overall impact.

And NBA teams took notice. Despite Bryant’s pedestrian numbers, he ultimately — and rightfully — became a lottery pick, being selected at No. 14 by the surging San Antonio Spurs.

Now, Peat has a path to follow.

Similarly to Bryant, earning extensive early playing time at Arizona won't be easy. Peat, too, is a highly-regarded 6-foot-8 forward with a variety of skills. But Arizona is consistently looking to win games, and playing true freshmen extensive time isn’t always the best path to that.

Still, if Peat can impact the game, NBA decision-makers will notice. And he may have a better chance at pouring on stats than Bryant did.

Scoring-wise, he’s likely the better long-term prospect, aside from his 3-point shooting currently lacking. He’s better on the ball, using natural touch and instincts to propel inside and mid-range scoring. While he’s less of a wing than Bryant, his more power forward-esque skills should translate to rebounds and more.

In the same way that Bryant did, Peat should be able to rack up steals and blocks with competitive juice on the defensive end of the court. 

The 2026 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a strong one, and Peat's addition to those ranks as another Arizona one-and-done would certainly give the class a boost.