Darryn Peterson Declares for 2026 NBA Draft, Scouting Report and Projected Landing Spot

As expected, Kansas shooting guard Darryn Peterson has declared for the 2026 NBA draft.

Peterson announced the decision on his Instagram page Friday and wrote, "after much reflection and prayer, I am proud to announce my decision to declare for the NBA draft. This has been my lifelong dream, and I am excited for the future."

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman provided a scouting report for Peterson with Anthony Edwards as a pro comparison.

"Unless Peterson's playmaking was severely masked by his role at Kansas and injuries, he profiles similarly to Anthony Edwards as a scoring 2-guard," Wasserman wrote.

"Both are special shot-makers capable of hitting self-created jumpers and threes. They are used to generating offense out of isolation and ball screens, but they are also efficient off the ball, shooting off spot-ups, movement, and dribble handoffs.

"If there was a fear with Edwards out of Georgia, it concerned his shot selection for a high-usage player. Peterson relies on difficult pull-ups and contested threes as well, but they're both capable of creating and converting against tight defense, which allows them to take over games when they're in a zone."

Wasserman projected the Kansas star to be the No. 2 overall pick in his latest mock draft with the Indiana Pacers selecting him. He will surely be a top-three pick, meaning the Pacers, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets are all potential landing spots depending on how the lottery shakes out.

Peterson Drops 21 in Loss

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Peterson arrived in Lawrence as part of a highly decorated high school class of 2025 alongside other luminaries such as AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. Peterson excelled when he played, averaging 20.2 points on 43.8 percent shooting (38.2 percent from three), 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals.

Injuries held him back, though, to the point where he missed 11 games. He dealt with a hamstring ailment, cramps, a rolled ankle and flu-like symptoms this year.

Peterson also revealed before the NCAA tournament that he suffered full-body cramps prior to the season and had to go to the hospital for treatment.

"I had like a full-body (cramp), super serious," he said in part, per the Kansas City Star's Shreyas Laddha. "You could say it was traumatic. I would say it was a traumatic experience."

Peterson, who will look to answer questions around his durability during the pre-draft process, will get a clearer picture of his potential future landing spot after the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10.