Why Darryn Peterson Snubbed Jazz Workout Revealed in New NBA Draft Rumors amid Dybantsa-Wizards Buzz

Darryn Peterson's decision to only work out with the Washington Wizards instead of the Utah Jazz or others ahead of the 2026 NBA draft is reportedly about his self-belief in going No. 1 overall and not about those specific teams.

"He's only working out for Washington, but he did meet with the Utah Jazz at the NBA combine in Chicago last month," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Sunday on SportsCenter. "And I think there's a sense of people in Utah may have taken the idea that he's not working out for them privately some kind of way, but that's really been stressed to me as it's not anything against Utah or Memphis or any of the teams that take action.

"It's more a statement that Darryn Peterson believes he should go No. 1 overall. That's what he's focused on. He'd be happy to go to the Washington Wizards. And if for some reason they didn't take him, he feels pretty confident that he would not slip past Utah at No. 2."

Washington has the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday's draft, ahead of the Jazz at No. 2 and the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3.

Still, there may be some concern from the Kansas star when it comes to Utah if AJ Dybantsa ends up going No. 1 to the Wizards.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Tuesday "for Peterson's camp, though, sources say there's as much motivation to avoid a positional overlap with incumbent ballhandler Keyonte George on the team that holds the No. 2 overall pick as there is a desire to go No. 1 ahead of Dybantsa and [Cameron] Boozer."

However, it doesn't seem like Utah sees a problem between pairing George and Peterson, as Ben Anderson of KSL Sports previously reported "though Peterson described himself as a point guard at the NBA Combine, league sources believe Utah views the Ohio native as a potential backcourt partner for Keyonte George, sharing playmaking duties."

Darryn Peterson Highlights

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George is just 22 years old and a clear-cut building block for the Jazz moving forward, but stacking young talent is always a worthwhile approach for rebuilding teams like Utah.

And a George-Peterson backcourt pairing could be a driving force back into contention in the loaded Western Conference even if the prospect only worked out with the Wizards instead of the Jazz as well.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected Utah to take Peterson at No. 2 overall in his latest mock draft with Dybantsa going to the Wizards. Wasserman called Peterson "a cleaner fit" than Boozer "after Utah acquired Jaren Jackson Jr.," which could be the difference-maker regardless of the workout situation.