The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was revealed earlier this week after months of speculation about who it would be. Former BYU standout AJ Dybantsa was the first name announced at the podium by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, followed by ex-Kansas phenom Darryn Peterson at No. 2.
Although there were rumors that the Washington Wizards may look to pair Peterson with Trae Young in the backcourt and that Utah wanted Dybantsa to stay local, that did not come to fruition. The Canton native is heading to Salt Lake City and should be their franchise player for years to come.
There was a conception before the draft that Peterson did not want to play for the Jazz since he had only completed private pre-draft workouts with Washington. However, the star guard dispelled those concerns in a post-draft interview with the media.
It's hard to argue with the fact that Peterson wanted to go before Dybantsa, his longtime rival, in the draft. Still, it doesn't sound like something that was rooted in him not wanting to play in Utah but rather to prove himself as a competitor.
Another thing worth noting is that Peterson still conducted interviews with several NBA teams, just not private workouts. That is an important distinction that most media outlets aren't pointing out - potentially to paint Peterson out as a diva or something he is not.
Peterson and Dybantsa have dueled with each other since high school, when Prolific Prep squared off against Utah Prep and Peterson's squad got the best of him in two thrilling matchups. Then, Kansas defeated BYU in an Allen Fieldhouse classic this past January, and Peterson had a dominant showing in the first half to help lead the Jayhawks to a win.
These two young stars should have plenty of exciting head-to-head matchups in the near future. Ultimately, Peterson may not have gone first in the draft, but that does not mean he cannot carve out a more successful professional career than Dybantsa.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Former Kansas Guard Darryn Peterson Opens Up About Being Drafted by Jazz .
