Jazz select Kansas star Darryn Peterson with No. 2 pick in NBA draft

Shreyas Laddha, The Kansas City Star on Jun 23, 2026

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NEW YORK — University of Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson was selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

Peterson, a 6-foot-5, 199-pound Canton, Ohio, native went second-overall in the two-round, 60-player draft.

Peterson is KU's 43rd draft pick since the NBA adopted the two-round format and the highest KU player picked since Andrew Wiggins was taken first overall in 2014.

Peterson had a chaotic lone season with the Jayhawks, filled with various injuries and ailments, but remained in contention for a top-3 pick the entire year. Multiple NBA sources told The Kansas City Star in recent weeks that Peterson had a shot to be picked at No. 1, but that honor was earned by BYU’s AJ Dybantsa.

Dybantsa was chosen first-overall by the Washington Wizards.

Peterson averaged 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game at KU. He shot 43.8% from the field, including 38.2% on 3-pointers.

Despite not working out for the Jazz, sources indicated that Peterson interviewed with the team at the NBA combine. He also recently visited Salt Lake City, calling the visit “smooth.” League sources from two different lottery teams told The Star that his predraft interviews went well overall.

“The fit’s great,” Peterson told The Star when asked about Utah on Monday. “I feel like I’m a player that you can plug in on any team and I can go and help the team win. So wherever I end up, I can help the team win.”

For Peterson, the biggest questions about his NBA future center around his health issues. Multiple NBA scouts have told The Star that there’s no denying his talent, but he didn’t look like the same player at Kansas compared to high school. He missed 11 games and regularly checked himself out of contests after halftime.

A source close to Peterson indicated to The Star that he was never 100% healthy while with the Jayhawks. But evidently those health concerns weren’t enough for him to fall in the NBA draft.

“I’m back, period,” Peterson said Monday. “I’m myself again. I’m feeling great. I’ve never felt better, actually. I’m excited.”

If Peterson remains healthy, his NBA ceiling is seen as quite high. One NBA scout told The Star on draft night that he believes Peterson’s ceiling is NBA star Devin Booker. Other draft pundits have mentioned two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the occasional comparison to Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.