Where Will Darryn Peterson Go in the 2026 NBA Draft?

With the New York Knicks winning their first NBA title in 53 years, the NBA calendar now quickly flips towards the offseason and the 2026 NBA Draft.

The 2026 NBA Draft takes place at 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 23, and will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN. Over the last several months, NBA front offices have poured over game film and scouted many of the top prospects from the collegiate and international ranks. 

This is one of the more polarizing NBA Draft classes in recent years, and Kansas G Darryn Peterson has the potential to be a top-three selection. With that in mind, where will Peterson go in the 2026 NBA Draft?

Below, we’ll break down a Darryn Peterson scouting report and make a 2026 NBA Draft prediction, also including the latest Peterson news and a few potential team fits.

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Darryn Peterson 2026 NBA Draft Scouting Report

Peterson is one of the more electric draft prospects as of late, but he also could carry quite a bit of risk for teams interested in selecting him.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, Peterson missed 11 of the Jayhawks’ 35 total games due to hamstring and ankle injuries, as well as cramping issues. Peterson was heavily criticized for missing numerous games, as many pointed to the star guard potentially sitting out certain matchups.

As far as his production on the court went, Peterson put together averages of 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc. Peterson did finish the campaign strong by averaging 24.5 points and shooting 36.8% from deep in two NCAA Tournament games.

Peterson has tremendous size at 6’6 and 199 pounds, and his athleticism is truly off the charts. The talented guard excels at finishing at the rim and carried a 59.7% shooting percentage at the basket in 2025-26.

The part of Peterson’s game that showed significant development at Kansas was his shooting ability. He spent a large portion of the time playing off-ball for the Jayhawks, resulting in a ton of shot opportunities.

Peterson ended up attempting 6.9 3-pointers per contest as a freshman and knocked down 47.7% of his catch-and-shoot treys. His lightning-quick release was a huge asset and should continue to be such as he faces more elite on-ball defenders at the NBA level.

One area of concern for Peterson was his decision-making, especially when he was the primary ball-handler. He was prone to bad reads at times and averaged 1.6 turnovers per contest at KU. Peterson also had 1 or fewer assists in 16 of his 24 games, failing to register an assist in four of those contests.

Darryn Peterson 2026 NBA Draft Payouts on PrizePicks

When it comes to Peterson, there's a limited list of potential suitors at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft.

On PrizePicks Team Picks, fans can turn their NBA Draft predictions into earnings if they're correct. Here are some possible Darryn Peterson NBA Draft outcomes, including payouts for predictions for “Yes” and “No” based on recent trends leading up to Tuesday night’s draft.

Payouts show potential returns on correct Team Picks predictions. A 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect outcomes users are picking as more likely. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.

• No. 2 overall pick: 1.26x Yes | 3.57x No 
• No. 3 overall pick: 5.88x Yes | 1.11x No 
• No. 4 overall pick: 11.11x Yes | N/A No
• Drafted Top 3: 1.01x Yes | 14.28x No

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Darryn Peterson 2026 NBA Draft Prediction: Latest News & Team Fits

Throughout the draft process, it has seemed to be a two-horse race to be the No. 1 pick between BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Peterson. However, the consensus now seems to be shifting to Dybantsa being selected by the Washington Wizards with the top pick.

In terms of Peterson’s draft prospects, the Utah Jazz appear to be a prime landing spot for the former Jayhawks guard.

Per The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer, Peterson revealed that he met with the Jazz over the weekend but didn’t confirm whether it was in-person. The Kansas star did say it was a “Combine-like” interview rather than an on-court workout.

Even if Peterson hasn’t worked out for the Jazz, this likely wouldn’t stop the franchise from selecting him. After all, F Ace Bailey refused to work out for Utah at first during the 2025 NBA Draft process but ultimately was selected by them anyway.

Last week, Peterson also worked out for the Wizards and wasn’t planning on meeting with any other teams, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Jeremy Woo.

Washington Wizards (No. 1)

Darryn Peterson Drafted by Wizards: 5.88x Yes | 1.11x No 

While Dybantsa could be the top pick, the possibility remains for Peterson to still be the one hearing his name called.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, the Wizards have done their "due diligence" scouting Peterson and, at the time, hadn't “made a decision yet” as to who the franchise will select.

It’s not exactly groundbreaking to see the Wizards leaving no stone unturned when it comes to Dybantsa and Peterson. If a team is making a player the potential face of their franchise, they want to know everything.

Nothing is certain on draft night, but it does ultimately feel like Peterson may hear his name called after the first pick.

Utah Jazz (No. 2)

Darryn Peterson Drafted by Jazz: 1.29x Yes | 3.12x No 

The Jazz could be the most logical landing spot for Peterson in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Utah comes off as heavily interested in Peterson, especially considering that the franchise had a meeting with him just a few days before the draft. If Dybantsa is off the board, Peterson has the most star power and has the potential to be the face of the franchise along Bailey and G Keyonte George.

Even with George already in the backcourt, Peterson could thrive as an off-ball scorer, and a team can never have too many talented guards in the fold.

While the game absences were concerning as a freshman, the overall talent of Peterson would be a great fit in Utah’s lineup.

Memphis Grizzlies (No. 3)

Darryn Peterson Drafted by Grizzlies: 6.66x Yes | 1.08x No 

While the Jazz may make the most sense in terms of Peterson’s potential landing spots, the Grizzlies certainly aren’t completely out of the picture.

The Jazz do have some history with Duke F Cameron Boozer because his father, Carlos Boozer, played six seasons in Salt Lake City in the 2000s and works for the organization now. Perhaps Utah revisits that family connection and takes Boozer instead of Peterson.

If that ends up being the case, Peterson would make a ton of sense for the Grizzlies at No. 3. 

The Grizzlies could be headed for a divorce with PG Ja Morant and would have a huge hole in their backcourt if they do choose to trade him. Peterson could bring some much-needed outside shooting to a team that connected on just 35.3% of its 3-point attempts last season.

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Make 2026 NBA Draft Predictions on PrizePicks

There’s no denying that Darryn Peterson is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft class. With potential to be selected in the top three, where exactly could Peterson end up being taken on Tuesday?

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For games, just pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on winners, spread, over/unders, and event futures — including the 2026 NBA Draft — now available in 35 states. 

Keep it here with Playbook for daily NBA Draft news, predictions, picks, and more throughout the offseason.