Arizona keeps rolling out the welcome mat for one of its all-time great prep athletes.

The next stop in Koa Peat's home state basketball journey will be on Jefferson St., playing for the Phoenix Suns. Staying in-state to compete at the Mortgage Matchup Center was an unexpected twist, but fulfills a lifelong dream. 

He had another pinch-me-moment Friday when Peat was introduced as the newest member of the Suns during a press conference at Verizon 5G Performance Center. The agile, broad-shouldered forward used his time in Arizona to develop into a first-round NBA pick. 

He first starred as a four-time champ at Perry High in Gilbert before earning NCAA Tournament West Region Most Outstanding Player honors and a Final Four appearance with University of Arizona. 

“Loyalty has always been a big key for me, and staying at the school (Perry) that was five minutes from me was super special,” Peat said. “Coach (Sam) Duane coached all of my brothers at Corona del Sol, and when he moved to Perry it was a pretty easy choice going to Perry and playing for the greatest Arizona head coach of all time.”

With the last pick in Tuesday’s draft, the Dallas Mavericks initially took Peat but then sent his draft rights to the New York Knicks as part of a four-team deal.

That’s when the Suns stepped in and moved up in the draft to take the easy-to-root-for, hard-working and mature 19 year old.

“(Peat) fits in,” Suns general manager Brian Gregory said. “He’s going to be able to walk in this gym, and when you look at the guys that we have in our organization and the guys that we’ve drafted over the last couple of years or brought in, he’s going to fit right in." 

By the numbers

Perry

Freshman: 15 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.6 apg.

Sophomore: 19.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.0 apg.

Junior: 20.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.4 apg.

Senior: 18.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 5.1 apg.

University of Arizona

Freshman: 14.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 52.8 FG%.