Koa Peat finishes victory with 19 points vs. MIL

Peat, the 30th overall pick in June’s draft, logged 16 minutes off the bench in San Antonio. Given Phoenix’s current crop of forwards, rotation minutes may be challenging to come by early in the season. However, this group has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, which may open the door for Peat. He played well against the Spurs, but the rookie should only be rostered in dynasty leagues right now.

Peat’s physicality was one of his strengths at the college level, and it was on display in his summer league debut on Friday. The rookie forward shot over 50 percent from the field and was active on the glass, but he also committed eight personal fouls. Players are allowed 10 fouls in summer league, so that isn’t a huge issue. However, getting better at playing with physicality without fouling will be an area in which Peat needs to improve. Against the Trail Blazers, he did his offensive work around the basket and in the mid-range, not attempting a three-pointer. Perimeter shooting is where Peat has the most work to do, so the lack of attempts isn’t a surprise.

Along with teammate Brayden Burries, Peat helped lead Arizona to its first Final Four since 2001. In 36 games, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.7 blocks, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 62.3 percent from the foul line. Peat did most of his damage offensively in the paint, and he struggled with his shot at the NBA Draft Combine. That’s the area where he will need to improve, but the rebounding ability and motor will allow Peat to compete for minutes immediately. He’ll head about two hours north of where he played his college basketball, with the Arizona native’s draft rights being acquired by the Suns. How much help the Suns need in the frontcourt will depend partially on what happens with Mark Williams, who will be a restricted free agent. Peat is not a center, but his athleticism and rebounding ability will be key, especially if the Suns move on from Williams. This pick was part of a three-team deal, with Phoenix acquiring it from Dallas after Dallas acquired the draft rights of No. 25 pick Sergio De Larrea from the Knicks. New York, which moves out of the first round with the transaction, received three future second-round picks.