For years the Utah Jazz have been enamored with Darryn Peterson, long believing that he would be the best player in the 2026 draft class.
On Tuesday night, the stars aligned for the Jazz.
Even though they didn’t have the No. 1 pick, they got the player they thought was the best in the class, as they selected Peterson with the No. 2 pick in the draft out of Kansas.
This came after the Washington Wizards passed on Peterson in favor of BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick.
Peterson’s lone season at Kansas was not without its hiccups. Mysterious cramping issues and other injuries made his collegiate year seem disjointed. The reason behind his cramping issues were also cause for concern leading up to the draft.
But what remained true about Peterson throughout the draft process was that his reputation as a player had been cemented long before he even played a game for the Jayhawks.
Executives and scouts across the league believe that Peterson’s size, skills and talent point to someone who has the potential to be a multi-time All-Star and maybe even receive more prestigious NBA accolades.
“I’ll just say that there’s a lot of good players in this draft, and it was a hard decision,” said Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge, not wanting to say anything negative about any other players in the draft class.
“We’re so thrilled to have Darryn, and he definitely fits us super well. He fits in pretty much everywhere. He’s a really good player, but I think, particularly our roster, he really goes well.”
In 24 games at Kansas, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.8% overall and 38.2% from 3-point range.
As far as any lingering concerns about health, the Jazz say that there aren’t any. Ainge said Peterson has been working out twice a day, has already gotten visibly stronger since the NBA draft combine last month and there are no red flags.
“Our doctors went through everything from the combine and all the tests that were ordered, and we feel very comfortable,” Ainge said. “He’s ready to hit the ground running, and we plan on seeing him in summer league.”
Peterson will arrive in Utah in the next few days for his official introductory press conference and to join the rest of the Jazz’s young squad as they prepare for the Salt Lake City Summer League (July 4, 6, 7) and then Las Vegas Summer League July 9-19).