The Utah Jazz had the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and they used it on Darryn Peterson. That much you probably know. What you might not have caught is how Jaren Jackson Jr. reacted. It was subtle, quick, and honestly kind of perfect.
Jackson reshared the Jazz’s official announcement of the pick on social media and added a caption with just two purple heart emojis. That was it. No long message, no hype video, no tag. Two hearts. And if you know how Jackson operates, that’s basically a standing ovation.
How Peterson landed in Utah
Peterson never worked out for the Jazz before the draft. He only visited the Washington Wizards. But when Washington took BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with the first overall pick, Peterson slid right to Utah at No. 2. The Jazz didn’t even need to trade up. He just fell into their lap.
For months the conversation was Peterson vs. Dybantsa at the top of the draft. Now the real debate starts: who has the better pro career? Peterson’s one season at Kansas under Bill Self was loud. In 24 games he averaged 20.2 points, shot 38.2 percent from three, and added 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals. The only real question was his health. He dealt with some injuries in college, but Utah clearly wasn’t scared off.
A backcourt with real potential
The Jazz missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year in 2025-26. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Keyonte George is already there and now Peterson joins him. That’s a young, talented backcourt that could grow into something serious. Jackson’s two-heart reaction might seem small, but for a guy who doesn’t post much about the draft, it stood out.
Utah has been collecting young pieces for a while now. Peterson might be the one who finally makes it click.
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