The Arizona Wildcats have three players likely to be drafted in the upcoming NBA draft. Each player’s stock has been shifting greatly over the past few weeks, especially since the NBA draft combine that was held in Chicago two weeks ago. Where do the major analysts and publications have Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley ending up in the draft? Let’s track the draft stock of the Arizona Wildcats.
Jaden Bradley
Jaden Bradley was the driving force for Arizona on and off the court this past season and earned the Big 12 Player of the Year award. Bradley picked up an unfortunate foul in the Final Four against Michigan that removed him from the equation, but that performance from Bradley did not shade over his accomplishments. It has become clear that general managers still desire Bradley in the second round of this upcoming draft.
At the NBA combine, Bradley went on to bolster his draft stock in the five-on-five scrimmages. He showcased all the skills that earned him the respect of his peers and opposing coaches while at Arizona.
ESPN: 51st to the Washington Wizards
Yahoo!: 48th to the Dallas Mavericks
CBS: No 2nd round in their mock draft
Bleacher Report: 51st to Washington Wizards
Tankathon: 46th to Orlando Magic
NBC: No 2nd round in their mock draft
Brayden Burries
Brayden Burries shined in Big 12 play, shined in the Big 12 tournament and went on to shine in the NCAA Tournament, where he showcased a high level combo guard’s skillset. Shot creation, rebounding, transition creation and pace — Burries put it all on display for GMs and scouts. At the NBA combine, Burries measured well, and his stock has only risen throughout the year.
ESPN: 11th to Golden State Warriors
Yahoo!: 5th to Los Angeles Clippers
CBS: 9th to Dallas Mavericks
Bleacher Report: 11th to Golden State Warriors
Tankathon: 8th to the Atlanta Hawks
NBC: 9th to Dallas Mavericks
Koa Peat
There has been one question on the mind of Arizona fans this off-season: is Koa Peat staying in college or leaving for the NBA? The draft stock of Peat has been a roller coaster ride this past season. Entering the season, he was a projected lottery pick. On the first night of the season he dropped 30 points on the defending national champions. Peat’s stock was holding steady in the late lottery range until the tail end of the season, as draft analysts have become caught up on his jump shot.
Peat’s jump shot has been a big topic of conversation with some mock drafts dropping him into the 2nd round after his 6/25 shooting performance at the NBA combine. Peat still offers versatility at his position but read along to see how the combine has impacted his draft stock.
ESPN: 27th to Boston Celtics
Yahoo!: 32nd to Memphis Grizzlies
CBS: 22nd to Philadelphia 76ers
Bleacher Report: 30th to Dallas Mavericks
Tankathon: 21st to Detroit Pistons
NBC: No 2nd round in their mock draft
To keep up with any and all things Arizona athletics and NBA Draft, tune into the AZ Wildcats Podcast with Damon Fairall and Kevin Thomas.
