Jazz take Darryn Peterson at No. 2 in effort to close the gap with Thunder, Northwest Division foes
Posted/updated on: June 25, 2026 at 3:39 am
DENVER (AP) — The usually stoic Darryn Peterson couldn’t mask his feelings after being taken by Utah with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday night.
His grandfather was crying. His mom was crying. So the Kansas standout got a little emotional, too.
“It was surreal,” Peterson said, “to hear my name.”
Now, the real work begins as Peterson tries to help the Jazz turn the corner inside a deep and competitive Northwest Division. Utah finished 42 games behind Oklahoma City last season — and the Thunder only got bigger (taking Michigan 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara) and acquired more shooting (picking up Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz).
Peterson becomes a complement to emerging Jazz star Keyonte George.
“He’s a really talented player and really hard worker,” Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said of Peterson on the team’s website. “He’s a culture fit, a talent fit and a game fit with our organization.”
Denver, another team trying to keep up with the Thunder, took UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26 on Tuesday night but sent his draft rights to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a deal to acquire more draft assets.
There’s a back story behind that pick, too. Nuggets President Josh Kroenke was caught on camera briefly clapping in the team’s draft room before suddenly holding his arms out.
It looked as if he was mad. Turns out, he was just mystified. The Spurs were using up most of the clock before committing to the pick. The Nuggets were growing more and more concerned that time might run out.
Hence, the look by Kroenke in a video that went viral on social media.
“It was like, ‘Hey, what did they decide?’” Nuggets executive vice president of player personnel Jonathan Wallace said Wednesday night after the draft. “It was one of those type of issues. It wasn’t an internal issue by any means.”
Difficult decisions loom for the Nuggets heading into the summer. Everyone not named Nikola Jokic may be up for trade discussions. The biggest dilemma is how to keep Aaron Gordon healthy and on the court after another injury-riddled season. The biggest decision is what to do about Peyton Watson, the talented, high-flying guard/forward who’s going to command a lucrative contract to stay in town.
“We feel good about where that’s at,” executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer said. “We hope Peyton’s here a long time.”
Meanwhile, Jokic is in line to sign a supermax extension this summer. Confident that will go as smoothly as possible?
“You’ve heard what he’s said about his happiness here,” Tenzer said. “We feel really comfortable with that relationship.”
Portland fortified its team Tuesday, not through a first-round pick — the Blazers didn’t have one — but by hiring Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori as its head coach. He takes over for Tiago Splitter, who left for Chicago. Splitter was the fill-in coach for Chauncey Billups following Billups’ arrest in an alleged gambling scheme.
The Blazers feature a talented core of young players in Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara. Damian Lillard will be back after missing last season due to an Achilles injury. Lillard played for the Blazers for the first 11 seasons of his career before spending two seasons with Milwaukee.
Minnesota made a splash on the eve of the draft by trading Julius Randle and a first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team deal that also included the Chicago Bulls, a person with knowledge of the terms said. The Timberwolves sent the draft rights of the 28th pick — Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson — to the Nets and received the 33rd selection, which was used to take Isaiah Evans, the floor-spacing guard out of Duke.
“You know what your team needs,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “So it’s a balance of being able to fill those needs but also be able to get the best talent available.”
Denver Nuggets
Needs: Dependable depth at a reduced price given their cap restraints. Last season, they brought in Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. on friendly one-year deals.
Who they drafted: At No. 35, the Nuggets went with Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile. The 6-10, 226-pound Brazile projects as a rim runner and lob threat. Denver went with forward Bryce Hopkins out of St. John’s with the 49th pick.
NBA comparison: Obi Toppin of Indiana for Brazile and Charlotte’s Grant Williams for Hopkins.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Needs: A point guard and backup center depth behind Rudy Gobert.
Who they drafted: Minnesota acquired the draft rights of Evans, who had a seat in the green room Tuesday — an honor designated for likely first-round picks. The Timberwolves took Trey Kaufman-Renn, a forward from Purdue, with the 59th pick.
NBA comparison: Evans resembles Brandon Ingram of Toronto, while Kaufman-Renn is likened to Montrezl Harrell.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Needs: They’re already loaded. But maybe even more height and 3-point shooting because, well, a team can never have enough.
Who they drafted: Mara and then moved up in a trade with the Grizzlies, who selected Stirtz at No. 16 and dealt his draft rights to the Thunder for two second-round picks. The Thunder selected Louisville guard Ryan Conwell with the 37th pick, before reportedly sending him to Miami for pick No. 41 (Kentucky guard Otega Oweh) and cash.
NBA comparison: Mara resembles 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein. With Stirtz, it’s Payton Pritchard. Oweh is a lot like Thunder guard Lu Dort.
Portland Trail Blazers
Needs: Stability. New Blazers owner Tom Dundon has ruffled some feathers by letting Splitter go and laying off numerous members of the staff.
Who they drafted: None.
Utah Jazz
Needs: When the Jazz can’t get out and run, they get bogged down in the half-court so they need more outside shooters.
Who they drafted: Peterson.
NBA comparison: Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds, AP Sports Writers Anne M. Peterson and Dave Campbell, and AP freelancers Matthew Coles and Tyler Mason contributed to this report.
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