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Darryn Peterson just gave the Utah Jazz a dream debut in the Summer League

The former Kansas star took little time to establish himself at the next level.
ByConnor Mardian|
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Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces the second pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson after he was selected by the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces the second pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson after he was selected by the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Those who intently watched the Kansas Jayhawks last season knew how much of a talent Darryn Peterson was. However, thanks to his prolonged absences and games cut short, fans hardly got to see him at 100%. 

 In his only season in the Big 12, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals. Peterson shot a 43.8% rate from the field and a 38.2% rate from deep. Peterson’s season-high came in a 32-point outing against the TCU Horned Frogs in early January, where KU came back from as many as 16 points down to push past Jamie Dixon’s side en route to a 24-11 season that ended painfully at the hands of St. John’s in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament

So when Peterson was selected No. 2 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, there was no doubt that a healthy Peterson could compete with the best in the league, and his NBA Summer League Debut proved that. 

Utah was spearheaded by Peterson’s stellar night

While the official 2026 NBA Summer League campaign doesn’t start until July 9th, select teams joined either the California Classic Summer League or the Salt Lake City Summer League. Each serves as a prelude to the real thing. 

In the Salt Lake City Summer League are the Jazz, the Atlanta Hawks, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Last night saw the Jazz take on the Atlanta Hawks in what was a thrilling encounter that was dominated by Peterson. 

It didn’t take long for the Prolific Prep product to get into the rhythm of the night with a couple of quick drives to the hoop that were finished with fouls that pushed him to the line for and-one opportunities. 

Peterson began to show what made Utah so confident in their pick as he showcased several step-back threes, while also playing superbly well off of screens that opened up a sliver of space for him to take advantage of. 

However, Peterson’s crowning moment came in overtime when the Jazz were tied at 95 with around 1:20 to play. Peterson ran off a screen that was well defended before he jabbed inside his defender before stepping out and knocking down the leading three-pointer. 

On the day, Peterson finished with a game-high 28 points on an 11/21 mark from the field, which included a 57.1% rate from beyond the arc, to go along with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and eight turnovers. Highlights from Peterson’s debut can be found here.

Saturday night’s performance was eerily similar to when the Jayhawks traveled to the KFC Yum! Center to take on Louisville in an exhibition before last season took full shape. Against the ACC side, Peterson totaled 26 points through 25 minutes, going 9/15 from the field along with four rebounds, two assists, six turnovers and five steals. 

Over the coming days, the Jazz will be taking on the Grizzlies and the Thunder to complete their short circuit in preparation for the official league start later this month.

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