Jazz Could Pass on Darryn Peterson in 2026 — The Fallout Would Be Huge

The Utah Jazz are sitting pretty with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but what the front office does when they’re on the clock could reportedly send shockwaves through the league. While many expected the Jazz to target explosive guard Darryn Peterson, a growing chorus of insiders is now whispering a very different name — and it has nothing to do with intel from the rumor mill.

In a new column that has fans buzzing, Yahoo! Sports NBA insider Kevin O’Connor dropped what he calls a “gut feeling” prediction: the Jazz will select former Duke star Cameron Boozer. O’Connor admits the call isn’t based on anything he’s hearing behind the scenes, but insists there’s a pattern at play — and it starts with Jazz CEO Danny Ainge.

According to O’Connor, Ainge’s history of zigging when the consensus expects him to zag is the real story here. “I’m moving Boozer into that No. 2 slot, and it’s not based on any intel at all,” O’Connor wrote. “It’s just a gut feeling based on history. Once upon a time, the Celtics had the first pick in the draft. Then they traded it! Boston worked out Markelle Fultz, the consensus first pick in 2017, and something was just off… Alarm bells went off. So the Celtics traded down and landed Jayson Tatum.”

O’Connor then turned his attention to the Peterson question — and didn’t hold back. “So, you’re telling me that a Jazz front office, now led by Danny Ainge and Austin Ainge, will take Darryn Peterson? Peterson has the whole cramping saga… Peterson sits out of the biggest game of his life, and he calls himself an ‘anti-social loner.’ I just don’t buy it when the alternate choice is one of the greatest college freshmen in recent history: Cam Boozer.”

The buzz doesn’t stop with O’Connor. Bill Simmons, another prominent NBA voice, has reportedly also pegged Boozer as the likely pick for Utah. Sources close to the situation claim both analysts are high on how the Duke forward fits into the Jazz lineup — and both believe Ainge is one of the sharpest talent evaluators in the game. According to insiders, the safer, more polished choice in Boozer over the enigmatic Peterson is increasingly seen as a realistic scenario, especially with Ainge’s track record of avoiding red flags.

But not everyone is sold on Boozer going second overall. ClutchPoints’ own Brett Siegel has the 6-foot-9 forward sliding to No. 3, where the Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly waiting. Still, with Ainge now holding the keys to the Jazz war room, anything could happen on draft night. One thing is clear: the pressure is mounting, and the decision could shape the franchise for years to come.

We won’t know Cameron Boozer’s final destination until June 23, but if the insiders are right, Utah might just be the place where this draft’s biggest drama unfolds.