Darryn Peterson Went No. 2 To The Jazz And Became The Highest Draft Pick In Franchise History

Darryn Peterson came into Kansas as the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

He spent one college season fighting cramping issues that cost him 11 games, offered almost no public explanation for months and watched the conversation shift until AJ Dybantsa's name was called first on Tuesday night at Barclays Center.

The Utah Jazz then took Peterson with the second pick, the highest selection in franchise history, and that was that.

Peterson is 19, from Canton, Ohio, and 6-foot-5. He averaged 20.2 points per game at Kansas, the most by a freshman in school history, on 43.8 percent shooting and 38.2 percent from three in 24 appearances.

The cramping problems that haunted his season were explained in May when he told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that high doses of creatine were the culprit.

Jazz team sources told ESPN that medical research did not raise red flags heading into the draft. "I'm back, period," he said.

The comparisons that scouts and analysts attached to Peterson, Devin Booker, a younger Kobe Bryant, reflect the kind of scoring ceiling that made him impossible to pass on despite the missed games and the unanswered questions.

The Jazz already have Keyonte George, who averaged 23.6 points last season in a breakout year, and Ace Bailey, their lottery pick from 2025. Peterson told Utah media exactly what he wanted to do about all of it.

"My goal is to win a championship, and as soon as possible," he said. "We just need a few more pieces."