Everything AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson Said After Wizards' Win vs. Jazz in NBA Summer League

AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson put on a show Thursday night when the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz clashed in the NBA Summer League.

Dybantsa, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, led all scorers with 27 points in Washington's 92-88 win. However, No. 2 overall pick Peterson delivered a strong performance in his own right with 24 points.

Jazz-Wizards Highlights

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During a postgame interview (h/t ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk), Dybantsa mentioned finally getting the better of Peterson after previously playing against him in high school and college.

"Every time I play him, it's a great setting," Dybantsa said. "He got the best of me three times—two in high school, one in college. I just wanted to come out on top, get a win first and foremost."

As for Peterson, he addressed the notion of being motivated to perform against the one player who went ahead of him in the draft, telling reporters, "I look forward to every game we play. Obviously, this one was a bigger one, so yeah, I was looking forward to it. I think every draft, every year, people are saying, 'This guy went ahead of me,' ... but the draft is over now. It is what it is. I am part of the Utah Jazz, and I'm super happy."

Dybantsa mentioned matching Peterson's motivation to win on Thursday, saying, "You got to find ways to motivate yourself for every single game. Obviously, he had a motive. So, I had to go find one. And I did."

Peterson also suggested to reporters that he felt more comfortable and got more enjoyment out of the way he was utilized by the Jazz on Thursday compared to what he was tasked with doing collegiately at Kansas:

On the one occasion Dybantsa's BYU team faced off with Peterson and Kansas in college, Peterson's Jayhawks won 90-82 behind his 18 points, while Dybantsa finished with 17.

Dybantsa went on to have the better collegiate season overall, though, leading the nation in scoring with 25.5 points per game and earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.

The Wizards then chose Dybantsa over Peterson with the top pick in the draft, adding him to an intriguing core made up of multi-time All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and 2024 No. 2 overall draft pick Alex Sarr.

As for Peterson, he landed with a similarly talented Jazz team that boasts past All-Stars in Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., plus 2025 No. 5 overall pick Ace Bailey.

With the arrivals of Dybantsa and Peterson, respectively, both the Wizards and Jazz have a chance to make big improvements in 2026-27 and beyond.

Thursday marked the first of what will likely be many meetings between Dybantsa and Peterson at the NBA level, and given where they went in the draft, they will be compared to each other throughout their careers.