As the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Darryn Peterson joins the Utah Jazz following a productive freshman campaign last season at Kansas.
Peterson was a second-team All-Big 12 selection last season, averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range. He led the Jayhawks in scoring, ranking fourth among all players in the conference.
The 19-year-old finished with the highest-scoring average in program history by a freshman, while also ranking third in free-throw percentage (82.6), fourth in free throws (109) and sixth in 3-pointers (63). He was also named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team.
Peterson became the first Jayhawks player to be the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft. He is the ninth
player from Kansas to be taken in the top five and is the first to go in the top five since Josh Jackson went fourth to the Phoenix Suns in 2017.
The 6-foot-6 guard debuted with the Jazz in summer league, averaging 23 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and one steal while shooting 34.5% from 3-point range in five games. He scored 20 or more points four times, including a 28-point effort on July 4.
Peterson displayed several of the traits that enabled him to be a top pick, including his playmaking, ability in the open court and strength in the paint. The team is eager to see him take the court and how he can affect winning at a high level.
Throughout September, Rookie Wire is compiling some of the most interesting facts about each first-round pick in an effort to further introduce the incoming draft class ahead of the 2026-27 season
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No. 22
Peterson wore No. 22 in high school and in college last season at Kansas because his father, Darryl Peterson II, wore it in high school. Peterson has said that his father inspired him to play basketball growing up and credits him for shaping him into the player that he is today.
However, upon joining the Jazz, No. 22 was occupied by Kyle Filipowski so Peterson either had to change numbers for the first time or try to strike a deal with his new teammate for it. Filipowski ultimately agreed and vacated it for Peterson, as he confirmed on June 27.
"It wasn’t bad," Peterson said of the negotiation with Filipowski, who will wear No. 2 moving forward. "He wanted to keep it, but that’s his first assist to me: He was willing to give me that, so I appreciate him for that. I’m thankful that he did it."
Darryl Peterson III
Peterson is the younger brother of Darryl Peterson III, 22, who played linebacker at Wisconsin and signed with the Los Angeles Rams after going undrafted in April. Darryl was among the Rams' final roster cuts earlier this week, but he agreed to join their practice squad on Monday.
"We both worked super hard our entire lives, to both be entering at the same time is crazy, super blessing."
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) June 26, 2026
Darryn & Darryl Peterson made history on Draft Night becoming the first pair of brothers to enter the NBA & NFL in the same year! pic.twitter.com/lsGLRXnPq4
USA Basketball
Peterson represented USA Basketball in the 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship, alongside the likes of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Koa Peat and Jayden Quaintance. He helped the group to the gold medal, averaging 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 steals in six appearances. Peterson also attended the men's junior national team minicamp in Colorado Springs in October 2022.
Devin Booker
Growing up, Peterson watched a lot of players, but he has mentioned that he studied Devin Booker perhaps the most over the years. He carefully saw how Booker can score, get to his spots and how to draw contact to get to the free-throw line. As such a big fan of his, it stands to reason that Peterson will very much be looking forward to facing Booker and the Suns for the first time in the regular season on Nov. 20.
Denim
After making such a big move to Salt Lake City to join the Jazz, Peterson decided to get a dog to keep him company. He ultimately decided on a Doberman Pinscher, which he named Denim. In his free time, Peterson has dedicated himself to becoming the ultimate dog dad by taking Denim out on walks and exploring his new home in Utah.
"Off the court, I don't really have too much time to myself no more, he got to be taken out and walked and stuff," Peterson said on July 5, via the Jazz on YouTube. "I want him to have a great life, so I've been trying to walk him and spend as much time as I can with him when I'm off the court."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 5 fun facts: Get to know Jazz's Darryn Peterson before 2026-27 season
