Why Darryn Peterson Could Be the Perfect Fit for the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are hoping to land a future star if they keep their top-four pick in the NBA Draft, and Darryn Peterson could very well fit that mold.

After an up-and-down season at the University of Kansas, Peterson left fans and evaluators across the basketball world puzzled by the decisions that led to him being in and out of the lineup. First, it was a cramping issue. Later, it became a hamstring injury.

Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) drives with the ball as Iowa State Cyclones forward Dominykas Pleta (21) during the second half in the Big-12 conference basketball showdown on Feb. 14, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Those closest to the college basketball world, specifically people around Peterson and the program, believe the injuries were legitimate and that his exits from games were tied directly to his health, not a lack of desire to compete.

Others have pushed the opposite narrative, labeling Peterson a “quitter” and pointing to supposed “red flags,” believing he was more focused on preparing for the NBA than finishing out the college season.

I lean more toward the people actually around the player, the program, and the situation than the national talking heads with louder platforms and bigger audiences.

Offensive Intrigue

Feb 2, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) shoots over Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin (15) in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Peterson is a special talent and one of the best shooters in this draft class. What stands out most is his ability to create openings without the basketball. He constantly moves off the ball, flies around screens, and puts defenders in compromising positions to free himself for quality looks.

Maxwell Baumbach of No Ceilings shared on Locked on Pacers that, according to Synergy percentile data, Peterson came off screens on 89% of his possessions and operated in dribble handoffs at a 91% clip.

That’s an absurd amount of movement and extra running, but it also makes his fit with Indiana incredibly intriguing. Some analysts have compared Peterson’s off-ball movement to Ray Allen. While I don’t think he’s quite the same caliber of shooter Allen was, the parallels are understandable when you watch how relentlessly he moves without the ball.

Fitting into Indiana's Offense

Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) dribbles against Houston Cougars during the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When envisioning how the Indiana Pacers would look offensively with Peterson in the lineup, it’s easy to picture the fit. You can see him curling off an Ivica Zubac screen, catching a perfectly timed pass from Tyrese Haliburton, and rising up confidently for a jumper.

With the second unit, the possibilities become just as intriguing. You can envision Peterson flowing into a dribble-handoff with Obi Toppin, attacking the paint off the exchange, and then firing a pass back to Toppin for a thunderous slam.

Peterson’s versatility offensively is what makes him such a dangerous weapon. He can drive, shoot, facilitate, and score at all three levels, creating constant problems for opposing defenses.

How the Injuries Impacted Peterson's Game

dp and flory — Jan 16, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) and guard Darryn Peterson (22) talk on the bench against the Baylor Bears during the second half of the game at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

It’s worth noting how the full-body cramps and hamstring injury impacted Peterson’s lift on his jumper throughout the season. Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star joined me on Setting the Pace and highlighted how much more elevation Peterson had on his shot in high school compared to what he showed during stretches at Kansas.

When your body is betraying you and you’re dealing with painful cramping throughout games, it’s understandable why both Peterson and the Jayhawks’ medical staff would take a cautious approach with his workload.

To me, the fact that Peterson continued fighting through those issues and still worked his way back onto the floor speaks more to his toughness than the “me-first” narrative some have attached to him.

The NIL era has created an entirely new landscape for fans to navigate, but that doesn’t mean every player is solely focused on themselves. One of the best evaluators in college basketball, Krysten Peek, also joined Setting the Pace and described Peterson as a naturally quiet and reserved person. Cameron Boozer carries himself in a similar way personality-wise.

When you peel back the curtain and actually examine the situation, the picture looks much different than the one painted by national personalities like Stephen A. Smith. The discourse surrounding Peterson has gone overboard, though the conversation now fairly shifts toward long-term health concerns.

If these injuries continue throughout Peterson’s career, that would obviously become concerning. But it’s far too early to label him injury prone. He has played an enormous amount of basketball at a young age, and the next step for him will be learning what his body needs to stay healthy over the course of a full season.

Defensive Breakdown and Replacing Mathurin

Jan 31, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; BYU Cougars forward Kennard Davis Jr. (30) drives against Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Defensively, Peterson anticipates plays well and does an excellent job disrupting passing lanes. He’s not currently an elite on-ball defender, but he has the tools and physical profile to improve in that area.

Peterson’s 6-foot-10.5 wingspan gives him a natural advantage defensively. Because the hamstring injury limited some of his explosiveness and lateral movement at Kansas, it was difficult to fully evaluate him on that end of the floor. Still, he projects closer to average-to-good defensively than good-to-great at this stage.

If Indiana is looking for someone capable of filling part of the offensive void left by Bennedict Mathurin, Peterson makes a lot of sense as a scoring option off the bench. They are completely different players stylistically, but both possess the ability to put points on the board in a hurry.

Mathurin entered the NBA with a reputation as a potentially impactful defender coming out of University of Arizona. After watching him for three-and-a-half seasons in Indiana, it became clear that defense was never truly his strength. With Peterson, the current pre-draft evaluation defensively feels far more aligned with what he realistically projects to become at the next level.

Final Thoughts

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) controls the ball against St. John's Red Storm guard Oziyah Sellers (4) in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As the Indiana Pacers attempt to balance winning now with building for the future, Peterson checks a lot of boxes. During his senior season at Prolific Prep, he averaged 30.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. In 24 games at Kansas, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 43.8% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range.

Peterson is an incredibly gifted player with one of the highest ceilings in this draft class. If Indiana lands him, the franchise would be adding a dynamic scoring guard with legitimate two-way upside and a skill set that could fit seamlessly into the Pacers’ offensive system.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

Add us as a preferred source on Google