In a recent news break by Sarah Todd, the Utah Jazz plan to sit Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Cody Williams on Tuesday’s Salt Lake Summer League matchup against Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ace Bailey has been sidelined with back spasms and is currently listed as day-to-day, though Todd insists the team plans to keep him active for the Las Vegas leg of the Summer League slate, beginning on July 9th. Cody Williams and Darryn Peterson will likewise participate in Vegas, as the team’s star trio hopes to build on an early foundation of on-court chemistry.
Advertisement
Peterson was absurd in his first appearance in SLC, notching a head-spinning 28 points in the Jazz’s first Summer League game. Matching up against one of the best-defending guards in the draft class of 2026, Kingston Flemings out of Kelvin Sampson’s Houston house of horrors (I mean that in the best possible way), the second-overall pick confirmed exactly why the Jazz believe he could be the star to lead their franchise to basketball’s pantheon.
Ace Bailey and Cody Williams are participating not out of necessity — their roster spots are secure — but in an effort to show their young teammate the ropes and help him establish a solid foundation for his impending rookie season. Bailey racked up 10 points in 20 minutes, and Williams gathered an efficient 17 points plus six rebounds in his starting role.
The Summer League serves as a launch pad for young stars like Darryn Peterson — a player who may someday contend for MVP votes — and a showcase for offseason growth that had gone unseen in the public eye.
The Jazz will take their foot off the gas in SLC on Tuesday, but they’ll be back in Las Vegas. Here’s to hoping they stick to this original plan and keep their finger away from the bright red “abort” switch in fear of injury.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
Read the full article here