Kansas’ Peterson lands with Jazz at No. 2 pick in NBA draft
The Utah Jazz chosen Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday, including a dynamic scorer to their younger core because the franchise intends to make a leap to competitiveness after a prolonged rebuilding course of.
Peterson was in rivalry to be chosen by the Wizards with the No. 1 pick, and Washington was the one group I visited. However, the Wizards chosen BYU ahead (*2*) with the highest pick.
It is the second consecutive yr that the Jazz used their lottery pick on a participant who declined to go to Utah in the course of the pre-draft course of. The Jazz are inspired by the progress of Ace Bailey{the teenager} who was a second-team All-Rookie choice after they drafted him with the No. 5 pick final yr.
“My pops always knew and once I got older I started to believe it, as well,” Peterson instructed ESPN about his potential. “It all paid off.”
Peterson, 19, averaged 20.2 factors per sport for the Jayhawks final season, essentially the most by a freshman in Kansas historical past. However, his lone collegiate season was tainted by mysterious medical points that induced Peterson to overlook 11 video games and make early exits from a number of others.
Peterson instructed ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne in May that he dealt with extreme cramping points that docs decided after the season had been induced through the use of excessive doses of creatine. Utah group sources instructed ESPN that their investigation into Peterson’s medical points didn’t outcome in any pink flags.
The Jazz are optimistic that Peterson will match properly alongside Keyonte George in the Utah backcourt for years to come back. George, 22, had a breakout marketing campaign in his third yr final season, averaging 23.6 factors and 6.1 assists per sport.
This matches the very best draft pick in franchise historical past. The Jazz additionally had the No. 2 pick in the 1980 draft, once they chosen Louisville guard Darrell Griffith, who received Rookie of the Year and spent his complete 10-year NBA profession in Utah.
