Jazz Rookie Darryn Peterson Is Doing Something in Summer League He Never Did at Kansas

Utah Jazz fans knew Darryn Peterson could score. That part was never a question. But through a handful of Summer League games, the No. 2 overall pick is showing off a skill that barely existed in his college box scores: passing.

Peterson averaged just 1.6 assists per game in his lone season at Kansas. Through four Summer League appearances, he’s up to 7.0 per game. That’s not a small bump. That’s a total shift in how he plays.

ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike noticed it too. During a segment on the network, she called Peterson a “double weapon” — someone who can hurt you with scoring or by finding the open man. She said the passing was the part that really stood out.

“We all knew he’s a bucket,” Ogwumike said. “But he’s flaunting off a different aspect of his game. It’s the passing here that is truly flashing. Not just scoring, but also passing. To me, this is the thing that you should take note of. That’s what’s very noteworthy, that he’s a double weapon, not just scoring, but also assisting.”

The scoring hasn’t gone anywhere either. Peterson averaged 20.2 points at Kansas and is putting up 26.5 in Vegas. But the assist numbers are the real story. For a 19-year-old guard who was known primarily as a bucket-getter, showing he can run an offense changes the timeline on what the Jazz can expect from him.

Utah picked Peterson second overall in the 2026 draft, banking on his scoring instincts and physical tools. But if he can be a primary playmaker too? That’s a different ceiling entirely. The modern NBA is full of guards who stuff the stat sheet across the board. Peterson might be angling for a spot in that conversation sooner than anyone predicted.

There was some chatter during the pre-draft process about whether Peterson even wanted to play in the NBA long term. He’s brushed that aside since arriving in Utah, and his Summer League energy has been hard to miss. He’s engaging with fans, talking to the broadcast crew, and playing with noticeable joy.

Summer League stats come with a grain of salt. The competition is uneven, rotations are weird, and the whole thing is basically an audition. But when a guy who averaged less than two assists in college is suddenly dishing seven a night, that’s not just a hot streak. That’s a skill that was hiding.

The Jazz have a young core still taking shape. If Peterson turns out to be a 26-point scorer who also makes his teammates better, Utah may have grabbed a foundational piece in this draft.