NBA Draft: The Distinctive Impact of Koa Peat in the Suns' Quietly Rising Core

After many predicted the Phoenix Suns would miss the playoffs entirely in 2025-26, the squad won 45 games with a young core that defended and rebounded next to their lone star in Devin Booker. As a result, Phoenix improved from the NBA's fourth-worst defensive rating in 2024-25 to a top-ten unit this past season en route to its playoff berth. The Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors to earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Regardless of the first-round loss, this season was a step forward for the franchise after a quick rebuilding phase since moving on from Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

While this young core was instrumental in the Suns' better-than-expected 2025-26 season performance, it often flies under the radar as it lacks the stardom of other young cores. Budding superstars such as Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel headline the acclaimed young cores for the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets, respectively, but the Suns' young core thrives due to its depth of physically imposing two-way complementary talent.

With Rasheer Fleming, Oso Ighodaro, Khaman Maluach and Ryan Dunn leading the way for Phoenix's young core, the group is characterized by tantalizing physical tools and athleticism, constant energy and complementary impact that doesn't require much on-ball usage. While this lack of on-ball usage can be seen as a limiting factor, it also simplifies the impact these young contributors can make around a star on-ball creator like Devin Booker.

To add onto this young core, the Suns traded for the No. 30 overall pick in this June's NBA Draft and selected Arizona native Koa Peat. The 19-year-old freshman enters the league after a terrific freshman campaign for the Arizona Wildcats, equipped to bolster the strengths of Phoenix's young core while addressing multiple of the team's biggest weaknesses.

Koa Peat's Offensive Rebounding and Defense Fit Phoenix's Strengths While his Downhill Creation Combats its Weaknesses

Peat's offensive fit with the Suns will not be seamless as he shot just 20 threes in 36 college games, 62.3% at the line at Arizona and did not make a three in four Summer League games. However, the 6-foot-7, 245-lb forward's impressive physicality, rim finishing, interior passing and strength-based creation from the two give Phoenix a barreling slasher it currently lacks, The team finished bottom-five in both rim and free throw rate last season, and given other members of the Suns' young core are mostly off-ball players, Peat brings distinct value to the group with his ability to create downhill opportunities on offense.

Further, his strength and athleticism extend to bolster a unit that just finished seventh in offensive rebounding rate. This was the strongest aspect of the Suns' offense in 2025-26, and Peat now joins the group fresh off a season in which he posted a notable 9.1% offensive rebounding rate as a freshman.

On defense, Peat's athletic tools pair with a 6-foot-11.25 wingspan to match the versatile defensive talent Dunn, Ighodaro, Fleming and Maluach already bring to Phoenix. As Peat adjusts to the NBA game, he has the defensive talent to scale his impact in similar ways some teammates already have to become great defenders early in their careers.

Ultimately, Peat likely is not the single piece that takes the Suns from West playoff team to West contender. However, he is another step in the right direction as a two-way talent who fits Phoenix's strengths in offensive rebounding and versatile defense while directly attacking its bottom-five rim and free throw rates. With this foundation of rebounding, defense and downhill creation, should his shot ever come around, Peat has the potential to become a highly impactful starting forward in the NBA.

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