How Suns Will Use First-Round Pick Koa Peat
How Suns Will Use First-Round Pick Koa Peat
Koa Peat will join a group of high-upside, young wings after being drafted by the Suns.Brendan Mau|
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Phoenix SunsPHOENIX -- After leaning into small ball during the 2025-26 season, the Phoenix Suns now have a decent amount of options who can allow them to play bigger after trading up and selecting Arizona forward Koa Peat with the 30th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
At 19 years old and without a reliable jump shot, there's a lot of upside for Peat to grow into, but his addition allows Phoenix to have a formidable group of young, big wings alongside Rasheer Fleming and Ryan Dunn, who were selected by the Suns in the two previous drafts.
The Suns will have to decide how exactly to utilize all these pieces within their system, but at the least, they have a lot of options at the 3 and 4 positions for the future to adjust to the modern era of jumbo wings.
What Will Koa Peat's Role Look Like With Suns?
Phoenix's roster won't look very different at all next season, and there's a chance Peat will be the team's only addition this summer on a standard contract with the Suns now having 14 of 15 standard spots filled ahead of Mark Williams' restricted free agency that's expected to see him wind back up in Phoenix.
With the Suns having so many established players and prioritizing player development in recent years, it's hard to see Peat having a big role, if any at all, in his rookie year, especially after Khaman Maluach, Fleming and Koby Brea all did not see much playing time in their first seasons last year.
Peat has been completely reworking his jumper after taking just 20 3-pointers total and shooting 62.3% from the free-throw line at Arizona, so the Suns will also have to try to develop him significantly in this area after he had a very poor NBA combine shooting performance.
Freshman 6’8 Koa Peat Klutch Pro day in front of NBA teams at Lakers Practice Facility 🔥 Koa was one of the best winners and mid range scorers in college basketball as a freshman pic.twitter.com/zydd25WglN
— Jordan Richard (@JordanRichardSC) May 22, 2026
The one facet of Peat's game that could allow him to see playing time is his downhill ability coupled with his strength, which is something no one else on the team has.
How the Suns would use this throwback style to their advantage is up to them, but Peat’s athleticism allowed him to thrive in transition at Arizona and Phoenix likes to play fast, which could lead to some opportunities for him to make an impact.
If Peat does get minutes, he could have a similar role to Oso Ighodaro where he switches onto multiple positions defensively and operates primarily in the short roll on offense with more of an ability to attack the paint in addition to playmaking.
He can also play in the dunker spot and out of the mid-post area like he did at Arizona if the Suns want to lean into more of an inside game next season.
No matter what, Peat fits the Suns culture with his grittiness and toughness, and coach Jordan Ott has found a way to maximize players with a similar mindset as him.
The 6-foot-7, 245-pound Peat has been a premier player on every team he has played for at this point, and it has only translated to winning, as exemplified by his four-straight state championships at Perry High School in Gilbert, four gold medals with Team USA and Final Four appearance at Arizona, so it would be a big adjustment for him to take on a much lesser role next season.
Koa Peat, Arizona’s Own
— Jacob Seliga (@jacob_seliga) June 24, 2026
The last pick of the first round to his hometown Phoenix Suns.
Four time state basketball champion (2022, 2023, 2024,⁰2025)
Three time Arizona basketball⁰Gatorade Player of the Year (2023, 2024, 2025)
Two time Fiba U17 World Cup⁰Gold medalist…
There's going to be time for Peat to showcase all he can bring to the table, but his rookie season will be all about figuring out how his tools can best fit what the Suns do, although Phoenix could already have a good plan for him given that it traded up 17 spots to select him.
Peat, a former five-star recruit and long-projected lottery pick, has the resume to make his case for playing time, but will have to prove he offers more than the likes of Fleming and Dunn among others if he will have a role his rookie season.
The Suns will be banking on his upside, and there are a few players such as Aaron Gordon or Tobias Harris who Peat could develop similarly to if it all works out for him.
As for now, the Suns will work to fit their young wings into the rotation, while Peat will likely look to find his footing and follow a developmental plan his rookie season that will be best for his long-term growth beginning at Summer League next month.
Published 5 hours ago
BRENDAN MAUBrendan Mau is a staff writer for Suns on SI. Brendan has been a credentialed media member covering the Suns since 2023 and holds a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism from Arizona State’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Follow Brendan on X @Brendan_Mau for more news, updates, analysis and more!
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
