Darryn Peterson didn’t waste any time making the Utah Jazz look smart.
In his first Summer League action after going No. 2 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, Peterson delivered the kind of debut that turns heads fast. The Jazz needed overtime to get past the Atlanta Hawks in Salt Lake City, and Peterson was the reason the night felt like his from the opening stretch.
That shouldn’t have surprised anyone who followed him at Kansas. Even in a season interrupted by prolonged absences and games that ended early, Peterson still put together a strong lone year in the Big 12.
He averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals, while shooting 43.8% from the field and 38.2% from three. His best scoring night came in early January, when he poured in 32 against the TCU Horned Frogs as Kansas rallied from 16 down to beat Jamie Dixon’s team on the way to a 24-11 season that ended with a round-of-32 loss to St.
John’s in the NCAA Tournament.
That résumé is part of why Utah’s investment in him carried so much confidence. And on this stage, Peterson looked every bit like a player built to justify it.
He got rolling quickly against Atlanta, attacking the rim for a pair of early drives that ended with fouls and free throws. From there, he started showing the full package: step-back threes, clean work off screens, and the kind of shot creation that gave the Jazz a steady source of offense all night.
The biggest swing came in overtime with the game tied at 95 and about 1:20 left. Peterson came off a screen, stayed patient against tight defense, jabbed inside, then stepped back out and buried the go-ahead three.
By the end of the night, he had the game-high 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including 57.1% from deep. He also added five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and eight turnovers.
The outing also echoed one of his best pre-college showings. In Kansas’ exhibition at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center before last season, Peterson scored 26 points in 25 minutes, going 9-for-15 from the field with four rebounds, two assists, six turnovers and five steals.
Utah’s Summer League schedule now continues against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder as the team finishes its short circuit before the official league start later this month.
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