Former Kansas star Darryn Peterson didn’t get the No. 1 pick he wanted in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the Utah Jazz still made him the No. 2 selection, and that alone put him in rare company. From there, the NBA Summer League gave him an early stage to show what he can do, first in the Salt Lake City Summer League and then in the league’s official summer showcase.
Peterson flashed in both settings, though the full picture was a mixed one. In his three appearances in the official NBA Summer League, he scored 62 points while shooting 16-for-52 from the field.
He also added 9 rebounds, 12 assists and 14 turnovers. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but the games came with far less pressure than what he’ll face once the season starts.
Bill Self was asked earlier this week about Peterson’s showing, and the Kansas coach didn’t sound worried. “I thought he was really good, and then I thought he had his ups and downs, too.
They played him on the ball, basically, all the time, which I'm sure that's what they want to look at, and that kind of stuff, which I think is great and good for him. So it was probably a little different for him, but I thought it was good,” Self said.
That role matters. Peterson was a ball-dominant player in high school, someone who could create and take over, but during his lone season with the Jayhawks he was pushed into more of a primary scoring job.
Self still saw enough to like. “…I actually thought he was good.
And when he's good to me, he's the best player, hands down.”
At Kansas, Peterson averaged 20.2 points while shooting 43.8% from the field. He also posted 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. From deep, he was a real weapon, hitting 38.2% of his threes, and he capped his season with a career-high 32 points in a thrilling overtime win against TCU.
Self also pointed to the shot-making as an area where Peterson can still do more. “So, I don't think he shot it anything like he's capable of shooting.
But you guys know as well as I do every time he shoots it, don't you think it's going in? I don't think he crushed it.
But I certainly think he did everything he was supposed to do.”
Peterson’s Kansas run was interrupted by injuries, most often cramping, and it became such a regular issue that fans would wait through the first media timeout of several second halves just to see whether he’d be able to finish. That concern is behind him for now, and Peterson can finally turn his full attention to his rookie season.
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