Everything has been coming up Millhouse for Utah Jazz fans the last two months, and the last week has been no different. It started with a successful draft night, when the Jazz got their guy, Darryn Peterson.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Darryn Peterson after he is drafted second overall by the Utah Jazz during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a draft with a legitimate debate between two incredible prospects over who should be the #1 pick. Either way it went, Utah was going to come out with a top-tier, top-pick caliber prospect to add to their young, exciting core.
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Draft night was a whirlwind of events, but it was a breath of fresh air listening to Darryn Peterson, who looked legitimately happy to come to the Utah Jazz, even excited.
With the draft over, Peterson was immediately caught up in the rush of joining the Utah Jazz. He talked with the front office and was ready to get started right away.
After a few days of preparation, Darryn Peterson arrived in Utah yesterday to a ton of fanfare online and in person.
It was a great job by the Jazz and Jazz fans to meet Peterson. The excitement online for him is palpable, and it was nice to see that visualized when he dropped down in Utah.
And with that, the next day would be the press conference, and the Jazz did a great job with that as well. Utah has done a great job of rising for this moment, probably the biggest moment in the last twenty years.
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The press conference was today and it’s well worth the watch.
Peterson has been fantastic as he’s joined the team, and each soundbite feels like confirmation of what Jazz fans have wanted for a long time: a player ready to go for a title, and is happy to do it with the Jazz.
This quote from Peterson says it all: “When I put on the uniform, I’m not putting it on for myself, I’m putting it on for the fans.”
It’s hard not to get excited about all of this with everything that’s happened over the last five years for Jazz fans.
Yes, Jazz fans have gone through four years of rebuild/tanking/losing (whatever you want to call it), but it wasn’t just the last four years. The final years of the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell era were not fun either. With infighting among teammates and players clearly trying to work their way out of Utah behind the scenes, it’s been rough.
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But all that feels like a distant memory now, and Darryn Peterson is healing a lot of wounds. His infectious smile, competitive attitude, and obvious love of basketball have been music to Jazz fans’ ears. And despite him saying and doing everything perfectly, there’s still that small part of you that wonders if it’s all a dream. Well, Jazz fans, it’s real. Peterson is now in Jazz gear and in Utah, the place he’s calling home.
So, Jazz fans, I give you permission to pinch yourselves all you want because you aren’t waking up. This is all real. Go buy that jersey you’ve been waiting for, get those tickets for Summer League and the regular season. Jazz basketball is back, and so are all the fans that might have taken a sabbatical. I, for one, am ready, and I hope you are, because this is going to be a lot of fun. It’s time to now soak it all in and enjoy the ride.
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