Jazz select Darryn Peterson with No. 2 pick of NBA Draft

A 6-foot-6 guard, Peterson is considered an elite outside shot-maker and is “the most gifted scorer” in the 2026 draft class, according to Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who ranked the freshman No. 1 on his big board.

Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 29.0 minutes per contest on .438/.382/.826 shooting in his lone season at Kansas. He was limited to 24 games, however, due to hamstring and ankle injuries as well as persistent cramping, the latter of which he later said was caused by using creatine.

The 19-year-old was the preseason favorite to be the No. 1 pick and remained in the top spot for much of 2025-26 before he was surpassed on some boards.

On top of being a top-tier three-level scorer, Peterson is also viewed as a plus athlete and a solid defender. While he was considered more of a point guard entering college, with plenty of on-ball reps in high school and good vision and growing passing instincts, the Jayhawks didn’t have much offensive talent around him team and he was asked to be an outside threat and off-ball scorer, which was a little unexpected.

Peterson has said he views himself as a point guard, though many of the players he admires are known primarily for scoring, with play-making and passing being secondary attributes. Despite his sporadic availability at Kansas, he was one of the top per-minute scorers in the country.

There was some speculation earlier in the draft process that Peterson might slide to the No. 4 or 5 pick. He eased concerns about his availability and health during interviews — he only worked out for the Wizards but met with the Jazz shortly before the draft.

Peterson slides into a backcourt rotation that includes Keyonte George, last year’s lottery pick Ace Bailey and Isaiah Collier. George was the team’s second-leading scorer last season (23.6 PPG, 6.1 APG).  Bailey averaged 13.8 PPG and Collier led the team in assists per game (7.2). The addition of Peterson gives Utah the potential of having one of the highest-scoring backcourts in the league.

With Jaren Jackson Jr. coming back from injury and Lauri Markkanen up front — barring a trade — the Jazz could be one of the most improved clubs in the NBA next season.