NBA draft winners and losers: Arizona loses Koa Peat; Duke, Florida preserves important pieces

The withdrawal deadline for the 2026 NBA Draft always has some game. While several players made their intentions known well before Wednesday’s 11:59 pm ET deadline, others kept fans, coaches and NBA teams in the dark. Just 25 minutes after the deadline, it was reported that Tounde Yessoufou was not only withdrawing from the NBA Draft but had also committed to St.

Yessoufou, a five-star prospect, had a freshman season at Baylor but was considered a first-round pick. Instead, he will take his skills to the Big East after averaging 17.8 points per game last season.

Arizona forward Koa Peat was arguably the biggest name to enter the church officially undecided. Despite struggling to get his shot at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, Peat will remain on the fence, where he worked as a first-round pick in the past. With Peat gone to the NBA, Arizona is now on the clock to find his replacement.

Several players chose to forego the draft and return to school, including Arkansas’ Billy Richmond III, Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner and Alabama’s Amari Allen. Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic has opted to return to college basketball but will be looking for a new home after entering the transfer window last month.

Momcilovic will be the biggest free agent hit on the open market. Kentucky, Louisville, Arizona, St. John’s, and any other school in need of shooting power and star power will be interested in the best 3-point shooter in college basketball. Arizona is a logical fit for Momcilovic after Peat opted to sit out the NBA Draft.

The result of the NIL being such an important part of college athletics is that the draft will be reduced on Day 2. Expect top players and internationals to make the majority of picks in this year’s second round and advance.

Here are the biggest winners and losers of the deadline for players to make their NBA draft decisions.

Winner: St. John’s made a surprising addition after the deadline

Wednesday’s big winner (well, technically Thursday) has to be St. John’s. Before the deadline passed, it was reported that Yessoufou had committed to play for St. Yessoufou was the No. 5 player in the 247Sports trade rankings and would have been one of the best players in the transfer market had he gone through the process after opting out. Yessoufou was likely going to be a late first-round pick, so going back to school was considered the best option. Now, he has a chance to improve his stock before the 2027 NBA Draft.

Winner: Retention is king of Duke, Illinois and Florida

The three biggest winners this offseason were Florida, Illinois and Duke. The Blue Devils have one of the deepest rosters in the sport after bringing back Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster and Dame Sarr while adding one of the best players available on the transfer portal: John Blackwell. Illinois returns Andrej Stojaković, Jake Davis, Tomislav Ivišić, Zvonimir Ivišić and David Mirkovic after reaching the Final Four for the first time in 21 years.

But the big winner of the final was Florida. The reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Rueben Chinyelu, has been the final piece of the puzzle in what has been a great season under Florida coach Todd Golden. Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar will all return for the 2026-27 season. If a preseason poll were conducted this week, Florida would likely be the No. 1 team. The frontcourt of Chinyelu, Haugh and Condon is the best in the sport.

Condemned: Koa Peat stays on the phone despite the shooting question

It’s no secret that the most seismic decision of the stay-or-go cycle was Peat. After having a strong freshman season at Arizona, his draft stock dipped slightly after a poor shooting performance in conference play earlier this month. It’s not just the lack of shots that is cause for concern, but how Peat has seemed to change his shooting mechanics completely. Peat is a 53.6% 2-point shooter, but the biggest knock on his game during his breakout season in Arizona was shooting outside the paint. I still think Peat will be a first round pick next month, but his stock is more of a mixed bag. He’s a player who would benefit greatly from another season of college basketball, but you can’t knock someone who wants to take the next step.

Winner: Kentucky gets reinforcements back

Kentucky’s offseason under coach Mark Pope has been under the microscope. Pope has had some well-documented misses this offseason, including Robert Wright III, Donnie Freeman and Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 ranked player in the 2026 recruiting class. Kentucky pivoted by putting Alex Wilkins and Zoom Diallo, but it was clear that Pope needed to succeed. That’s exactly what happened when Malachi Moreno withdrew from the NBA Draft days before the deadline. Moreno showed the most potential of anyone from Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class after averaging 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Moreno is a top prospect for next season and should have an expanded role. Keep an eye out for him in the 2027 NBA Draft.

What Malachi Moreno’s return means for Kentucky: The first key anchors the Wildcats’ roster

Brad Crawford

Loser: NBA teams will pick in the second round

The theme of the NBA Draft in recent years has been the second round is becoming an afterthought, as it is mainly composed of those who do not have eligibility and international players. Most of that is due to NIL. When a player has the option of making seven figures by playing another season of college basketball or grinding through the G League as a second-round pick, it’s easy to see why the former is more appealing. It is also worth noting that the second round of the NBA Draft is different from the second round of the NFL Draft. You often see agents working their magic to get players to their preferred destinations in the second round, when a guaranteed contract is on the table. Or, you could see someone go undrafted and get a better deal as a UDFA than going to a random spot in the second round.

Winner: The All American Guard returns

There will be two players who earned CBS Sports All-American honors returning to college basketball this season. That would be Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner and Jeremy Fears Jr. from Michigan State, both of whom succeeded in landing in the draft. Tanner projects as a candidate for SEC Player of the Year after the season with Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, Fears will look to add to his assist tally after leading the nation (9.4) in assists per game. Keeping that talent should be considered a big win for Michigan State and Vanderbilt.

Winner: Alabama does it again before the deadline

Last year, Alabama was the surprise winner of the waiver deadline after LaBaron Philon decided to return to school at the 11th hour. Amari Allen’s decision to return for his sophomore season at Alabama wasn’t as big, but it should have the same impact. Allen was a late first-round pick if he stayed on the roster. However, after measuring a few inches shorter than his listed height of 6-foot-8 at the NBA Draft Combine, a return to school seemed inevitable. Allen should benefit from many returning players in football this season and is a name to know for next year’s draft.

Loser: Anyone who thought the transfer portal cycle was over

The transfer portal may have been closed a month ago, but it will be hot now that the deadline has passed. Momcilovic will be the biggest name available because you can never have enough shots. Momcilovic’s combination of star power and shooting will make him one of the highest paid players in the sport. Buckle up.

Winner: Lottery teams in the 2027 NBA Draft

There has been a lot of talk about the 2027 NBA Draft. I’m not here to sell it as a good class because it’s probably at the same level as the 2024 NBA Draft, which is not a compliment. However, with so many returning players in college basketball, there’s a good chance we’ll see players step up their game all around and make next year’s draft even better than 2024.

Haugh is a guy I had a top 15 grade going into the offseason. I thought Haugh would probably announce the draft because he’s a giant swiss army knife. The same can be said for UConn’s Braylon Mullins, who would have been a top 25 player had he stayed in the draft. Those are the two names I’m looking for next summer. If I had to guess who would end up in the top 10 returning this year, it would be Haugh and Mullins. Another name to keep an eye on is USC’s Alijah Arenas. He had a limited rookie season due to a knee injury. Arenas is a potential lottery pick next summer if all goes well at USC.

Who stays and goes back to school?

Notable decisions from players who decide to stay in the NBA Draft or return to play college basketball next season.