The Utah Jazz are hoping Canton native Darryn Peterson will become the face of their franchise.
The Jazz used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to make a massive first-round investment in Peterson on Tuesday, June 23.
A former Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy guard, Peterson possesses undeniable talent, yet he missed 11 games and left several others early this past season as a freshman at Kansas, where he played 24 of 35 games and averaged 20.2 points on 43.8% shooting from the field (38.2% on 3-pointers), 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 29 minutes.
In May, Peterson told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne his availability issues stemmed from debilitating cramping, which he said doctors concluded through testing was the result of high doses of creatine he had consumed.
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Darryn Peterson to Utah Jazz in 2026 NBA Draft grade: Instant reaction
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Darryn Peterson to Utah Jazz in NBA draft: Grade, analysis for pick
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
