One Prospect Utah Jazz Need to Target After Lottery Climb

The Jazz should have eyes on one particular name with their No. 2 draft pick

Jan 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; (from left to right) Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge and president of basketball operations Austin Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik speak before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz were finally blessed with a little bit of lottery luck this past weekend when they jumped up to the second-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and have the perfect opportunity to add a premier spark of young talent into the mix for their future endeavors.

And that luck might not have come at a better time than this draft, where a clear top-four prospect sits atop most teams’ draft boards as the top four selections in the class. No matter how the first pick ahead of them falls, Utah will get their hands on a really intriguing building block.

But who of those four top names should the Jazz be hoping falls to them at two?

It's certainly a conversation to be had. But upon first glance, it's hard to find a better fit, and perhaps even a better prospect in the class than Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.

Darryn Peterson Might Be the Guy for Utah

Headed into the scouting process following the lottery fallout, AJ Dybantsa might have hype as the current number one guy to come off the board, and the best prospect in the class with the highest ceiling.

And there's a chance that might all be true. But Peterson also has a serious case of being the best name any team on the board could target––especially the Jazz.

Between his physicals, athleticism, versatility as a scorer and shooter offensively, and defensive upside to be a two-way force, Peterson is everything you want on the floor in a top-two guard selection. And he just so happens to fit perfectly with what the Jazz could use in a young player within the draft.

Darryn Peterson's closest physical comp in the DX database: 21-year old Dwyane Wade coming out of Marquette.

Little taller, comparable frame, near-identical length and reach. Peterson has time to add bulk at 19. pic.twitter.com/xO6nB8LeMD

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 12, 2026

Peterson, in a hypothetical role with Utah, can fill in as a perfect complementary scoring threat in the backcourt next to Keyonte George, presents much-needed defensive upside for a team that has consistently struggled on that side of the floor, and be a dangerous one-two punch next to Ace Bailey on the wing.

That checks a ton of boxes for what the Jazz need within their rare selection in the top two of the draft, which hasn't happened for the franchise in over 40 years.

Darryn Peterson, 19-25 spot-up 3s pic.twitter.com/zmAb3B6YC1

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 12, 2026

Peterson did fall into some concerning headlines in the middle of his season at Kansas surrounding lingering injury and availability issues, and would eventually share a bit of an interesting creatine story to attribute those to. That, if anything, could be a small reason teams slide him down their draft board past the number one pick.

But the Jazz are no stranger to facing some loud pre-draft noise around their top pick in the draft. Their top-five pick of Bailey last year is the poster boy for that, albeit this is a little bit of a different situation involving his medicals.

As long as Peterson's medicals are clear in their pre-draft scouting, that turbulent year at Kansas shouldn't play much of a factor into their evaluation.

Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

He was long viewed as the number-one prospect in the class leading up to his sole season with the Jayhawks, and if able to show that same explosiveness and dynamic two-way ability during his high school days, he'll be undoubtedly a top-two pick in the draft.

No matter who the Jazz land on between Dybantsa or Peterson, Utah walks out of this draft as massive winners. Yet even if they had their pick of the litter at number one, it might be the Kansas guard––not the local product out of BYU––who fits the mold as the guy they should have at the top of their board.

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