When Brayden Burries heard his name called at the 2026 NBA Draft, the first person he embraced was Tommy Lloyd. Sporting a tan blazer amidst a sea of his family in black, Lloyd looked every bit the proud mentor.
Burries was the first of three Wildcats to be drafted this week, with Koa Peat and Jaden Bradley following suit. Meanwhile, Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso found opportunities through free agent deals. Lloyd, like many, was on the edge of his seat, unsure of how the draft would unfold.
“There’s a lot of intel flying around, sometimes you don’t know what’s true, what’s not true,” Lloyd commented via Zoom on Friday.
Burries was snapped up 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, while Peat became the final pick of the first round, landing with the Phoenix Suns. Bradley found his new home with the Toronto Raptors as a second-round pick. Awaka secured a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls, and Dell’Orso is set to showcase his skills with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League.
Burries’ selection marked the 18th lottery pick in the program's history, the third during Lloyd’s five-season tenure. It was clear that Burries was a hot commodity, with Milwaukee wisely choosing not to let him slip past them.
“There might have been a certain guy that has a lot of interest in Arizona basketball that was picking right after the Bucks,” Lloyd hinted, referring to Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors, who picked 11th and chose Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg.
Peat’s journey to the Suns was a rollercoaster. Many draft analysts believed he should have returned to Arizona for another season, but the Suns made a decisive last-minute trade to secure him. Initially drafted by the Knicks, who acquired the pick from the Mavericks, Peat was then traded to Phoenix for three second-round picks.
“We’re thankful for the Suns for choosing him in the first round,” Lloyd shared. “They really wanted him.”
Bradley’s selection was unique in that he was the only second-round pick made by a team using its own draft choice. Lloyd had initially thought Awaka would be picked by the Bulls in the second round, but after a trade shuffled the picks, Awaka found his path through a free agent deal.
“He didn’t get drafted there but he ended up in a situation where I felt he was at the top of their board in the second round,” Lloyd noted.
Lloyd emphasized that the right situation can be more crucial than draft position. Burries joins a Milwaukee team that is reshaping its identity following the trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo, signaling a focus on youth.
“It’s kind of a restart there,” Lloyd said of Milwaukee. “Brayden’s a guy that we think is ready to play in the NBA, and he ended up in a situation where they have a need.”
As for Bradley, Toronto sees him as a player who can make an immediate impact. With openings in their point guard rotation, Bradley has a real chance to carve out a significant role.
“Jaden is a ready-to-play guy,” Lloyd said. “He impacts winning. Toronto feels like he can come in and carve out a role for him for a long time.”
Dell’Orso’s path is less certain, with no guarantees beyond the summer league. Whether he continues in the G League or takes his talents overseas, Lloyd is confident in his future success.
In Other News...
Arizona Kept Tommy Lloyd But This Deal Raises A Bigger Question
Tommy Lloyds new extension at Arizona settles the immediate worry for Wildcats fans who had spent months hearing his name attached to bigger jobs. The school made the move after a spring full of speculation, and for now the message is clear enough: Lloyd is staying put and intends to keep building on what he has started in Tucson.
The more interesting part of the deal is what it says about how Arizona sees the future of the program. Lloyds reporting line now runs directly to school president Suresh Garimella instead of athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois, a notable shift for a coach of his stature. It also comes after a round of outside interest and lingering chatter about where his career might go next, which leaves one bigger question hanging over the arrangement even as Arizona enjoys the stability. [Read more 🡒]
Tommy Lloyd Weighed Which Wildcats Landed In The Best Spot
Tommy Lloyd had plenty to unpack after the draft, and not just because Arizona put multiple players into the pro pipeline. Brayden Burries came off the board 10th to Milwaukee, Koa Peat went at the end of the first round, Jaden Bradley followed in the second, and Anthony DellOrso also earned a shot with Sacramento. For a program that has spent years selling itself as an NBA incubator, this was the kind of night that reminded everyone how often Arizona talent gets moved from Tucson to the league in a hurry.
Lloyd still had a few individual angles to sort through, especially with how the draft board fell and where each player might fit next. He talked through which spots looked best for different Wildcats and what those opportunities could mean as the next phase begins, including the path for undrafted Tobe Awaka, who appears set for a look in Chicago. The broader picture was encouraging for Arizona, but the most interesting part now is how many of these players can turn draft-night momentum into actual roster traction. [Read more 🡒]