With the No. 2 overall pick, the Utah Jazz selected Kansas star guard Darryn Peterson in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night in Brooklyn, New York. After the Wizards claimed AJ Dybantsa at No. 1, the choice was anything but difficult for Ryan Smith.
The reaction line is generally positive, and the Jazz faithful, especially, are happy with Peterson being the guy after weeks of speculation over whether a BYU fan favorite in Dybantsa would continue his career out west after his freshman season.
Draft analyst Jeremy Woo tapped Peterson as his No. 1 pick in ESPN’s 11th-hour mock draft, only for Washington to go with the 6-foot-9, 210-pound Cougars forward instead. Moments before the draft, the Class of 2026 duo caught each other for an interesting exchange:
Peterson notably missed 11 games this past season, but remains an absolute fit for the NBA should his talents translate to the Jazz in Year 1. The good news is he fits directly into their core group.
Instantly, the former Jayhawk lends Keyonte George a partner in crime around the wing with more length than Utah’s guard play has seen in some time. In 24 games at Kansas, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
A projected lineup now includes George, Peterson, Arizona alum Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler. That includes a bench with Isaiah Collier, Colorado alum Cody Williams, Brice Sensabaugh, Ace Bailey and Kyle Filipowski.
Scouting guru Adam Finkelstein said Peterson arguably brings the highest upside of any pick in the draft:
It’s been a good couple of months for Peterson after an unfavorable end to his college career.
Peterson included brief nods to Bill Self and Kansas during his media scrum ahead of the draft earlier this week, and heads to Salt Lake City with a historic Adidas deal, which makes him one of the top five highest-paid rookies in history.
There’s some pressure involved with that deal, but considering just how bad the Jazz have been since their last postseason appearance five years ago, there’s a lot of runway to succeed. Peterson will undoubtedly face questions over his health, experience and whether he can be the shot in the arm for the franchise that selected him No. 2 overall. That first look will come with Summer League, beginning next month and headed to Utah July 4-7 at the Delta Center.
