Austin Ainge can’t remember the first time he saw Darryn Peterson play basketball. Over the years and especially over the last few weeks he’s watched so much film that he nearly has Peterson’s high school and college games memorized.
The Jazz have had scouts and executives who have been mesmerized and intrigued by Peterson for years, but all of the watching, gathering of intel and following along culminated in two really important days.
On Tuesday the Jazz selected Peterson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, but they knew for sure he was who they wanted a few days ago, a decision that was solidified on Saturday when the Jazz brain trust traveled to Canton, Ohio — Peterson’s hometown — to meet with Peterson and his family.
“It meant a lot to me for them to come to my hometown and want to meet with me,” Peterson said shortly after the Jazz drafted him. “I was super excited when my agent told me that’s what they wanted to do, and it was a great conversation.
“We talked about the new stuff that (they) have planned and in store, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Ainge, Avery Bradley, Justin Zanik and Danny Ainge made the trip to Ohio in order to make sure that Peterson was exactly who they thought he was. They wanted to meet his family, talk to him in a place where he felt comfortable and also spend a little time selling him on the idea of joining the Jazz.
“We were comfortable with him in the (NBA predraft) combine, and we’d been in great communication with his group and talking about everything. We just wanted to be a little extra sure,” Austin Ainge said.
“Let’s just go out and see him and see where he’s from, get to know him even better and just make sure that if we ended up with him on draft night, that we have the best plan from Day 1.”
The Jazz decision makers made sure to tell Peterson about the fanbase, about how they have been selling out the Delta Center even as the team has tanking and rebuilding for the last four years.
They told him about the current team, about the offense head coach Will Hardy wants to run, about the movement Peterson would be involved in and about how much they believe in his potential.
Peterson got a chance to ask questions and to listen and be himself. He showed off some of the new tattoo work he’s gotten this summer.
He got excited about the potential of playing next to Keyonte George and having a dynamic backcourt partnership. He got excited about being on a team that is ready to win games.
“We talked about our team and our program and how he would fit, and he shared how excited he would be to be with us if it went that way on draft night,” Ainge said.
“And we talked about his family and what we would do if he ends up with us, and we all left very excited.”
For Peterson, the Jazz getting to know his family was meaningful because he cares deeply for them. Their emotion showed on Tuesday night as both his mother and grandfather shed tears as his name was called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the Jazz’s pick.
“They know all the hardships and stuff that we’ve been through, and for them to be here with me means a lot,” Peterson said of his family on draft night.
“Their emotions showed. Just the love for me is unconditional, and I feel the same way about them.”