KU basketball star Darryn Peterson shares final thoughts ahead of 2026 NBA Draft
For 25 minutes, media day for the 2026 NBA Draft felt like trying to get a reservation at New York City’s hottest restaurant, Carbone.
Instead of getting the chance to eat mouth-watering pasta or pizza, the main attractions Monday afternoon were KU’s Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer.
The three, in some order, are projected to go top-3 in the NBA Draft, which will take place at 7 p.m. Central on Tuesday. The media scrums around each player reflected their importance, with constant jostling for the right positioning of microphones and cameras.
On occasion, reporters quite literally tripped and fell over tripods and camera setups while the unfazed athletes answered a line of seemingly never-ending rapid-fire questions.
In fact, it was perhaps the most comfortable Peterson has seemed all year. He came off as confident and relaxed.
Despite an up-and-down season at KU — filled with a variety of injuries and ailments — Peterson remains in contention for the first pick. Along the way, he says he’s learned from the trials and tribulations of the last 12 months.
“Stuff is going to happen in your career that you can’t control,” Peterson told The Star. “I feel like I controlled everything I can control and got through it.”
The looming question about Peterson remains his health. A source close to Peterson told The Star he underwent many medical tests after the season to ensure he was cleared before declaring for the NBA Draft.
Multiple NBA sources tell The Star his health-related questions aren’t a big enough concern for him to slide significantly in the draft.
Meanwhile, Peterson maintains he’s healthier than he’s ever been.
“I’m back, period,” Peterson said, asked what he’d tell his critics. “I’m myself again. I’m feeling great. I’ve never felt better, actually. I’m excited.”
He later added, “I think they are going to forget about the health stuff a couple of years from now because of my game.”
While in New York, Peterson also confirmed the report that he only worked out with the Washington Wizards. Peterson’s camp, The Star has previously reported, views the draft order favorably, but he did not say he will only play for Washington.
In fact, Peterson said he enjoyed his trip to Salt Lake City, calling it “smooth.”
“The fit’s great,” Peterson told The Star about potentially being drafted by Utah. “I feel like I’m a player that you can plug in on any team and I can go and help the team win. So wherever I end up, I can help the team win.”
As for how he feels about competing with Boozer and Dybantsa for the No. 1 pick?
“I feel like I’m in competition with everybody in the draft,” Peterson. “I guess it’s the top 3, but I am in competition with everybody.”
