Charlotte Hornets host former top prospect for pre-draft workout

June 5, 2026 - 01:59

The Charlotte Hornets held a pre-draft workout earlier this week for Koa Peat, a player who once topped high school recruiting rankings but now projects as a late first-round selection in the upcoming NBA draft.

Peat, a 6-foot-8 forward, was widely considered the best prospect in his high school class just a few years ago. His stock has slipped since then, with most draft analysts placing him somewhere in the 20s on their big boards. Still, the Hornets are taking a close look, likely intrigued by the raw talent that made him a household name among scouts early on.

The workout gives Charlotte a chance to evaluate Peat's current skill set up close. He brings a versatile game, capable of scoring inside and stepping out to the perimeter. His size and athleticism remain appealing, but questions about his consistency and fit at the next level have kept him from being a surefire lottery pick.

For a team like the Hornets, who hold a mid-to-late first-round pick, Peat represents a potential value grab. If he can recapture the form that once made him the top-ranked player in the country, Charlotte could land a steal. The workout is a standard part of the pre-draft process, but it signals that the Hornets are doing their homework on a player whose ceiling might still be higher than his current draft projection suggests.