Koa Peat participated in the NBA Combine on Monday and came away with mixed results. He measured in at 6'7" barefoot with a weight of 245 pounds. He also recorded a 6'11.25" wingspan and an 8'8" standing reach.
Peat participated in the drills as well with the following numbers:
1st - No Step Vert
3rd - 3/4 Court Sprint
9th - Max Vert
11th - Pro Lane
15th - Free-throws (7/10)
21st - Side/Mid/Side (10/25)
22nd - Off Dribble (15/30)
25th (T-Last) - 3PT (6/25)
26th (Last) - Spot-up (6/25)
31st (Last) - Shuttle
Most of the discussion surrounding Peat's performance in the NBA Combine revolves around his shooting ability. Multiple people in attendance say that Peat completely changed his shooting form and has been working on it for only a few weeks. There was no indication that he was re-tooling his shot and while it isn't necessarily a bad idea, doing so without notifying teams beforehand and so close to the combine comes as a surprise to come.
The likely message from Peat and the Klutch agency is that Peat is working on improving his jump shot, which would alleviate some of the concerns with the shooting numbers. The issue is whether or not teams will buy the belief that is the reason for the struggles and they will improve in time as opposed to Peat possibly just not being a very good shooter.
Peat will likely have to explain his change in shooting mechanics to the teams he will be meeting with over the next few days and it will be interesting to see if he chooses to work out for teams and how he performs there as well.
From Arizona's perspective, it is simply a waiting game. There is a slight possibility that Peat will return to Arizona and until he makes a final decision, the coaching staff is just fine with working behind the scenes and having a plan that is dependent on what Peat decides.
"This one is very, very tight," 247Sports National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham said, via College Basketball Talk. "We've been watching Koa Peat since the eighth grade. Shooting the basketball has never been one of his strong points. I do think a return to college basketball would benefit him. "If he does stay in the NBA Draft, I'm not discounting Tommy Lloyd from figuring out a solution and finding an international stud to replace him like he does every single offseason."
Before the NBA Combine, Gary Parrish of CBSSports had Peat mocked to the Charlotte Hornets with the 14th pick.
"Peat is another polarizing prospect because he's strong, physical, can finish, rebound, short-roll to get downhill, and even play-make a bit, but doesn't shoot. He was pivotal to Arizona's Big 12 championships and Final Four run, and loaded with winning intangibles. That DNA is very much in line with what we saw Charlotte prioritize last year, when they nailed the 2025 draft with Kon Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Sion James."
Peat's performance doesn't signify the end of the possibility of him going in the top 15, but it certainly makes it more difficult and he will have to spend the next week or so thinking about his next step and convincing teams that not only is his shot going to improve, but he can impact the game in other areas as well.