Darryn Peterson has now played four games as a member of the Utah Jazz. Two in Salt Lake City in the SLC Summer League and two in Las Vegas. It is highly doubtful that he will suit up for the Jazz again this summer, as Sarah Todd of Deseret News reported that he will be held out of the game on Monday night against Caleb Wilson and the Chicago Bulls. He could play in the subsequent game against the San Antonio Spurs on July 15th, but if I were a betting man, I would assume he probably won’t. Four games will likely be all we get from Darryn Peterson in the 2026 Summer League, which raises the question: did we see enough from our second-overall pick to remain excited about his potential to become one of the best players in the NBA?
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz looks on during the game against the Washington Wizards during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center
| NBAE via Getty Images
Alright, let’s face it: if you are ACTUALLY trying to draw hard conclusions from Summer League about whether or not a player will be successful in the NBA, you are better off just guessing. The level of competition simply is not very good, and the sample size and team context make it unreasonable to base everything on Summer League. We have seen players like Jalen Brunson be extremely mediocre in Summer League while a guy like Trey Lyles looks like the next league MVP. The player’s work ethic, health, and team developmental staff will largely determine the heights that they will achieve, and Summer League is merely a showcase for their talent.
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That being said, I have been seeing an inordinate amount of discourse around Darryn Peterson’s summer league performances. From turnovers to efficiency to defense and everything in between. Some of that discourse might just be rage-baiters from our nation’s capital who finally have hope again for the first time since peak John Wall. But some is coming within the walls of the Jazz fanbase itself. Should we worry about his shooting efficiency? What about his playmaking? Is he gonna be the 4th best player in the class? What I did was compile some stats from the Summer League performances of players comparable to Darryn Peterson to see where his stats (yes I know it is summer league) compare to their stats (again, yes, I understand it is JUST summer league).
|
Player |
PPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FTA |
AST |
TO |
Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Darryn Peterson (4) |
25 |
43% |
38% |
5.5 |
5.5 |
5 |
2.25 |
|
Damian Lillard (4) |
26.5 |
44% |
38% |
7 |
5.3 |
3.8 |
0.5 |
|
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (4) |
19 |
46% |
25% |
3 |
4 |
2 |
3.3 |
|
Donovan Mitchell (2) |
28 |
36% |
27% |
8 |
1.5 |
4 |
6 (STL) |
|
Devin Booker (2) |
26 |
47% |
60% |
7.5 |
6.5 |
3.5 |
1 (BLK) |
|
Cade Cunningham (3) |
18.7 |
43% |
50% |
0.7 |
2.3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Tyrese Maxey (2) |
26 |
50% |
29% |
5.5 |
4.5 |
2 |
3 |
|
Jamal Murray (5) |
19.6 |
44% |
17% |
12 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
As you can see, Darryn’s stats over 4 games in Summer League are actually very comparable to those of other similar guards during their time in Summer League. Please DO NOT misunderstand the message I am trying to send with these stats. All of these guys listed above, besides Darryn, have been to All-Star Games, made All-NBA teams, won MVP awards, played in the NBA Finals, and won championships for their respective teams. Can you say confidently that Darryn Peterson will reach those same milestones with the Utah Jazz based purely on his 4-game Summer League sample size? No. But you also shouldn’t stop yourself from being excited about having a prospect that could do that.
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz and AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards walk on the court during the 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 9, 2026 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Listen, Jazz fans, I get it. This is uncharted territory for us here in Utah. We aren’t used to having the guy that all the national media wants to talk about. We aren’t used to primetime, box-office matchups involving us. Frankly, we aren’t used to drafting prospects that don’t take a little searching and wishful thinking to find something we like about their game, especially early on in their careers. I am asking politely to just sit back and enjoy this era of Jazz basketball we are about to embark on. This is real life: the Utah Jazz have the number two overall pick in the 2026 draft. His name is Darryn Peterson, aka “Bucket Jones”, aka “The Boogieman”. He is real, and he is an absolute stud. Nothing he has done in Summer League should deter your excitement for the future of the Utah Jazz. While not an end-all, be-all by any means, his Summer League stats are actually pretty comparable to some of the best guards in recent memory. Through four games in Summer League, it appears that Darryn Peterson is just as good as advertised.
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