Koa Peat has informed the basketball world he will not return to the University of Arizona next season, choosing instead to remain in the pool for the 2026 NBA Draft. News that the Chandler native would keep his name in the draft surfaced Wednesday evening and was confirmed later that night. Peat had until 9 p.m. Arizona time on Wednesday to withdraw and retain his college eligibility; by letting the deadline pass he has made his professional intentions clear.
Koa Peat at an NBA Draft Combine media backdrop — the Arizona forward has announced he will remain in the 2026 NBA Draft pool.
The National Basketball Association was expected to publish an official list of players who withdrew from the draft later this week, a routine step in the lead-up to draft night. Peat’s name will not appear among those withdrawals. He declared for the draft on April 24 and, after weighing his options through the predraft process, opted not to reclaim his collegiate eligibility. The decision closes the chapter on a freshman season that positioned him as a potential first-round selection for some evaluators even as others began to move him down their mock drafts.
Peat’s journey through the predraft circuit included the NBA Combine in Chicago earlier this month and a pro day hosted by his agency, Klutch Sports, the weekend before he finalized his decision. Observers at the Combine noted that several of his numbers in shooting drills were below the expectations set by his college play. In testing he converted 50 percent of his off-the-dribble attempts but struggled from the perimeter, producing a 28.0 percent mark in the 3-point star drill and 24.0 percent in spot-up shooting. Those results prompted some to question whether his stock had slipped during the pre-draft evaluation window.
In media sessions at the Combine, Peat was candid about the uneven shooting performances. "If you have bad shooting days, sometimes you can't really get too high or too low about it," he said, adding that he was focusing on steady improvement rather than allowing isolated tests to define his trajectory. He emphasized other areas of his game—defense, finishing around the rim, physicality and overall impact—that he believes translate to the next level. Team evaluators and front office personnel routinely weigh those complementary skills alongside shooting when projecting how a college player might fit in the NBA.
Peat’s shooting mechanics at the Combine also drew attention for appearing different than what scouts saw during his freshman campaign at Arizona, when he shot 53.8 percent on two-point attempts, largely on attempts taken within 15 feet of the basket. Since the college season concluded he has been working on his offensive arsenal in Los Angeles with player-development coach Chris Johnson, telling reporters he has concentrated on improving his midrange and three-point shooting while also refining ball handling. The pro day organized by Klutch Sports gave him additional opportunities to showcase progress for NBA teams.
Arizona forward Koa Peat (No. 10) powers a dunk in game action for the Wildcats; Peat is leaving Arizona to pursue the 2026 NBA Draft.
Beyond individual measurements and workout numbers, Peat’s decision carries immediate implications for Arizona’s roster. The Wildcats will enter the offseason without the freshman power forward who played a prominent role in their recent postseason run, creating a vacancy at a position that figures to be pivotal as the program attempts to reload. Analysts noted that his departure could reduce Arizona’s odds of returning to the Final Four in consecutive seasons, given his size, defensive presence and ability to finish around the basket.
Projections for Peat on draft night varied in the weeks leading up to his choice. Some mock drafts slotted him in the middle-to-late portion of the first round, while others moved him toward the back end of that range or out of the first round entirely as the Combine and subsequent workouts altered perceptions. Although the exact 2026-27 rookie salary scale has not been set, a recently cited range for players selected between picks 11 and 29 on last year’s scale showed guaranteed two-year contracts that began between roughly $2.8 million and $5.5 million in the first season—figures that, in some cases, are eclipsed by what top college prospects have secured via name, image and likeness agreements in recent months. The increasingly lucrative NIL environment has become a factor for many collegiate talents as they weigh the decision to turn professional immediately or return to school.
Peat’s choice to stay in the draft completes a process that began with his April declaration and included intense scrutiny over several weeks of workouts and public testing. He framed his own outlook around continual work and a belief that his skill set matters at the professional level, underscoring the steps he has taken to expand his shooting range and overall offensive versatility. With the withdrawal deadline now passed and the league preparing to post its official list of entrants and withdrawals, Peat’s name will remain on the draft card as teams prepare for interviews, private workouts and, ultimately, draft-night selections.