AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson are meeting for the first time in a professional context.
The NBA Summer League returns Thursday night with a primetime matchup including the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz tipping off at 8 p.m. CT in Las Vegas.
It’ll be Dybansta’s debut in a Wizards uniform after Washington selected the BYU star forward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Peterson, selected by Utah at No. 2, is averaging 26.5 points, 7.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds through two appearances already in Salt Lake City.
Peterson, after a 25-point performance against the Memphis Grizzlies, dropped one of the toughest lines of the summer leading up to this week’s matchup:
It’s a natural rivalry, given Dybantsa’s ties to Utah through BYU and Peterson’s progression since his shortened Kansas career ended. They’ll be the two most-watched rookies in the NBA next season, and Thursday night represents just their fourth official meeting on the hardwood.
The pair battled twice in high school, with Peterson claiming both meetings, and again in college when Peterson laid down 18 points for Kansas in just 20 minutes for a 90-82 win at Allen Fieldhouse. Dybantsa recorded 17, but BYU finished the night just 45% from the field and even worse behind the arc (34%) in what ended up being their only meeting on the college stage.
While Dybantsa and Peterson may very well meet during the 2026-27 regular season (schedules typically drop mid-August), this Thursday’s game is about as raw a contest as you’ll get during their professional careers. They’ve each been in their respective organizations for a brief time, and they’re both young stars out to give their teams reason for hope heading into next season.
You can watch Dybantsa and Peterson face off at 8 p.m. MT on ESPN.
