2026 NBA Draft: Darryn Peterson

As the Utah Jazz are approaching the start of the NBA season, it’s important to know another one of the “Big 3” in the 2026 NBA Draft. Since the end of the 2024-25 season, the Jazz have seemingly decided to prioritize the youth of the roster as they seek to build the new era of Utah Jazz basketball. Now, because the Jazz are prioritizing the kiddos, that means that we do not plan on winning many games this season — inexperienced young players do not tend to lead to winning basketball, resulting in a hopeful plethora of losses. Why are these losses great? Let me introduce you to one of the best guard prospects coming into college that we have seen in the past decade or so, Darryn Peterson.

The Kansas guard, Darryn Peterson, is the kind of guard you talk about when discussing the future of the game — fluid in his attack, versatile in his roles, and dangerous in every situation. Standing around 6 foot 5, he’s built with strength but moves with rhythm, giving him the ability to create his shot at all three levels — pulling up in the midrange, shooting off the dribble, or blowing by his defenders to score at the rim. In the 65 games I have available to me, in all of his pre-NCAA games dating back to 2021-22 when he played for Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Peterson has averaged 23.2 PPG on 50% from the field, 35% from deep, and over 80% at the free-throw line, which he gets too very often (45.2% FT rate). In his most recent season with Prolific Prep, Darryn averaged 30.4 PPG, 7.4 APG, 6.8 RPG, 2.2 SPG, on 52% shooting and 44% from distance, leading his team to a 28-5 record and was ranked top-5 among the nation. He doesn’t treat offense as a solo mission either; he is willing to pass it to the open man or dump it off down low when needed. Darryn truly is a joy to watch because of how effortless he makes the game of basketball look; I have never watched a game of Darryn’s and wanted to turn the game off because of how he plays. It might just be the smoothest style of basketball by an individual NBA prospect I’ve witnessed in a long time, before they’ve entered college.

It’s not just the offensive side of the basketball that makes Darryn Peterson such a feat. It’s the ancillary skills and defense that make him as highly touted as he is. Because DP is such an explosive athlete, it helps on the defensive side of the ball — Darryn averaged 3.75 stocks per game in the 65 games I have available. He is a force to be reckoned with defensively. With his listed 6-foot-10 wingspan, Darryn is able to fill in the passing lanes, help on the weak side, and most importantly, be a point-of-attack defender.

Another underrated aspect of Darryn’s game is his rebounding, which happens to be yet another byproduct of his explosive athleticism. However, it’s not just his explosiveness, but the will to rise up and go get the board himself instead of relying on others. Darryn is gritty, unafraid of contact, and has a knack for turning defensive rebounds into instant transition opportunities. That combination of toughness and initiative makes him stand out among guards his age, proving he can impact winning possessions beyond just scoring or playmaking.

At the end of the day, Darryn Peterson is more than just another talented high school star making the leap to college — he is the kind of prospect that front offices build entire timelines around. His scoring polish, defensive versatility, and willingness to do the little things like rebound and share the ball all point toward a player built for winning basketball at the highest level. For the Utah Jazz, embracing a season of growing pains could ultimately position them to land a guard who doesn’t just fit into the timeline but has the potential to define it. Could Darryn Peterson and the 2025 Utah Jazz top 5 pick, Ace Bailey, be the future of the franchise? I genuinely believe that it could be, and it is in the realm of possibility. All we have to do is lose… and get lucky.