Darryn Peterson Lost the Game but Won’t Back Down From Any 2026 Draft Rival

LAS VEGAS — The scoreboard said one thing. Darryn Peterson said another.

The Utah Jazz rookie and No. 2 overall pick just watched his Summer League squad get blown out 104-82 by the Clippers on Sunday night. Keaton Wagler, the guy taken fifth overall, dropped 18 points in the second half alone and finished with 23. Peterson shot 6-for-18 from the floor. It wasn’t close.

But ask Peterson who he’s taking in a one-on-one against any player in the 2026 draft class, and you’ll get an answer that doesn’t leave room for interpretation.

“They got the dub, so I’d say he won the matchup. I’ll watch the film back and see, but I’m always taking me vs. all-everybody. Everybody in our draft, not top-5,” Peterson told reporters at the Thomas & Mack Center.

That’s the kind of confidence that made him the No. 2 pick in the first place. And honestly, it’s not totally insane.

Wagler started his second Summer League game exactly like he started his first — ice cold, missing shots he’d normally make. He went 1-for-7 to open things up. But then something clicked. He hit three of his last four three-point attempts and put up 18 in the second half. That kind of adjustment is exactly why the Clippers took him where they did.

Peterson gave Wagler credit for the win but made it clear the result doesn’t change how he sees himself. That’s the kind of thing you want to hear from a guy your franchise just hitched its future to.

The numbers don’t lie about this one, though. Wagler finished with 23 points and four assists, shooting 4-of-7 from deep. Peterson took two more shots and made the same number of field goals. The Clippers controlled the game from start to finish, and the Jazz never really looked like they had an answer.

But Summer League stats come with a built-in asterisk. These games matter in the sense that they show flashes. They don’t decide careers. And at the top of the 2026 draft class, there’s a lot of raw talent that hasn’t even started to peak yet. Caleb Wilson, taken fourth overall, has already turned heads with his own performances out here.

Peterson and the Jazz were supposed to play the Bulls on Monday, which would have put him on the same floor as Wilson. But both players are sitting that one out. So for now, the trash talk stays in the locker room. Eventually, Peterson will have to prove it on a real NBA court against real NBA rotations. He’ll get plenty of chances. The Jazz are betting he’ll deliver.