Where was Darryn Peterson drafted? What to know about top-5 2026 NBA Draft pick

NEW YORK - The Utah Jazz selected Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, jettisoning concerns about his one injury-plagued season in college.

Peterson, a 6-foot-5 swingman, averaged 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 24 games with the Jayhawks and comes into the league after questions about a productive, yet strange freshman season.  Despite his absence in many games, he still broke the Kansas freshman scor­ing record previously held by former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins.

Peterson missed significant time this season with a hamstring strain and dealt with cramping issues, saying that the use of creatine sometimes caused full-body cramps, causing him to miss 11 games.

When healthy, Peterson is as dynamic a scorer as there is in the country. He shot 38.2% from 3-point range and can easily get off his shot anytime he wants.

"People are going to have opinions on me and stuff because of what I went through and all that," Peterson said. "But now I'm an NBA player, so a whole new shift in my life and lifestyle. But basketball has always been the main thing for me. I keep it the main thing. Worked my butt off my entire life, and I'll continue to do that."

Peterson said he has worked hard to overcome his history of injuries and added that he wants to play all 82 games.

"Coming off the year I had at Kansas, I didn't get to play all the games I wanted to," Peterson said. "My first goal is to play all 82. Make the playoffs. Try to get a ring. I saw some rookies get deep in the playoffs, and they kind of inspired me to get there. They came up short, but I want to go all the way and get a ring."

The Jazz, who tied for the worst record in the NBA at 17-65, can move forward now that their tanking ways are over. They were fined $500,000 for their offenses, but the cupboard isn't totally bare in Salt Lake City. When healthy, Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Ace Bailey provide the stability to build upon, but the climb to the top may be a very long time coming in the loaded Western Conference.