2026 NBA mock draft: Sixers select Arizona big man Koa Peat at No. 22

The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into the 2026 NBA draft armed with a first-round pick they acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Jared McCain deal. The pick, via the Houston Rockets, landed at No. 22 and the Sixers have a number of options they can look at in order to really improve and add another young piece to the roster and move forward.

There will be some options for new President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey and Co. to look at heading into this draft, but one thing is for sure, the Sixers need to fortify the bench unit. The second unit struggled a bit in the playoffs and Philadelphia could use some upgrades in that area in order to truly get to the next level in the Eastern Conference.

A mock draft put together by CBS Sports has Philadelphia selecting Arizona big man Koa Peat at No. 22:

Peat had the biggest stay-or-go decision to make of anybody. Time will tell if it was the right one, but it’s hard to see Peat falling out of the first round after so many people in his draft range went back to school. My biggest concern about Peat is the jumper. It appears he has completely altered his jumper mechanically since the end of the season. Peat doesn’t need to be a knockdown shooter to make an impact at the NBA level, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt.

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Peat had the biggest stay-or-go decision to make of anybody. Time will tell if it was the right one, but it’s hard to see Peat falling out of the first round after so many people in his draft range went back to school. My biggest concern about Peat is the jumper. It appears he has completely altered his jumper mechanically since the end of the season. Peat doesn’t need to be a knockdown shooter to make an impact at the NBA level, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt.

Peat averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as a freshman for the Wildcats in 2025-26 as he was able to make an impact despite not having much of a jumper. Sixers Wire did a full deep dive on Peat, which can be read 2026 NBA mock draft: Sixers select, and looked at his strengths, weaknesses, and potential fit on the Sixers.