NBA DRAFT

June 23, 2026

Darryn Peterson

Q. I wanted to hear what are your thoughts on going number 2? Obviously you were thinking throughout the process you would be number one, but what do you have to prove now that you aren't the first overall pick?

DARRYN PETERSON: I can't go back and change anything now. Obviously I wanted to be the No. 1 pick, but I went No. 2. So now I'm prepared to go to Utah and get to work.

There's always been a chip on my shoulder, so I wouldn't say it added anything else. But now it will always be in my mind for my whole career.

Q. There was a lot of conversation and people are trying to put you in a box and talk about you in a certain way this past year. Like who are you, and what do you want to prove to people on this next level, especially since people classified you a certain way during your college career?

DARRYN PETERSON: When you say, who am I, I say I'm me, I'm Darryn Peterson. People are going to have opinions on me and stuff because of what I went through and all that.

You know, I think I'm a pretty cool guy. A big brother to my siblings and son to my parents, a good friend, someone people can count on.

But now I'm an NBA player, so a whole new shift in my life and lifestyle. But basketball has always been the main thing for me. I keep it the main thing. Worked my butt off my entire life and I'll continue to do that.

It's part of my dream, but I have a lot more that I'm chasing, and I'll continue to do that.

Q. We know you're an ambitious guy and you've got the game to back it up. Are there any specific goals that you have going into next season? I also have to ask, we've been through about seven picks in here, what have you been up to the past 45 minutes?

DARRYN PETERSON: It's been 45 minutes since the pick? Yeah, that's crazy. Wait, ask it again? My bad. Can you ask it again?

Q. My first question was about any specific goals you have for next year.

DARRYN PETERSON: Goals? Play all 82 games. Coming off the year I had at Kansas, I didn't get to play all the games I wanted to. My first goal is to play all 82. Make the playoffs. Try to get a ring. I saw some rookies get deep in the playoffs, and they kind of inspired me to get there. They came up short, but I want to go all the way and get a ring.

Q. The top eight picks were all freshman. How well do you know the other guys in the class, and how good this class could be with all you guys?

DARRYN PETERSON: Yeah, I know Dailyn [Swain] just got drafted, another high one. I know these guys well. We kind of grew up together. We were at camps and played together since we were like 16 and 15 years old. We kind of grew up together and chased this dream together. So it's pretty cool.

We don't know each super personally, but we spent some a good amount of time around each other. So we know each other kind of well. We going to continue to compete.

I'm coming for these guys like I've been coming for them my whole career. So I'm going to continue to do that. And now I'm going to into a room with better players, and I'm coming for these guys, too. I'm going to work my butt off.

Q. May not be the most important thing in the world, but you did rock No. 22 at Kansas and high school.

DARRYN PETERSON: Yeah.

Q. 22 is taken at Utah.

DARRYN PETERSON: Who has it at Utah?

Q. Kyle Filipowski.

DARRYN PETERSON: I'm going to have to see what he's willing to do to give that up.

But if not, can you wear 8 in the NBA? Sometimes there's numbers you can't wear. Might try to rock 8 or see if he's willing to give it up, but probably like 8. Kobe vibes. I just got Kobe tattooed my shoulder. So y'all are going to see that soon. Yeah, probably 8.

Q. Utah is building around a very young core, especially last year's pick, Ace Bailey. What are you hoping for this future, especially in the next few years, building on that young core with the Jazz?

DARRYN PETERSON: Like you said, it's a new young core and I'm excited to go be a part of it. We have a lot of great players and I'm blessed to be in a situation where we can win right away. So looking forward to it.

Hopefully we can go in and be one of those teams now, go deep in the playoffs and get a championship.

Q. What have your conversations been like with Utah? I know you met with them but didn't specifically work out.

DARRYN PETERSON: They were great. I remember meeting in Chicago and telling my agent, I want to be No. 1 pick but I had a great connection with Utah, and I won't be upset if they called me.

I think when I didn't work out, there was a misconception that I didn't want to play for them for some reason.

But me being me, my main goal is No. 1. So me and my team decided that was the best place for me to go work out.

Definitely happy that Utah picked me and can't wait to get there and go work. I think it's a great fit.

Q. Your energy right now, you seem so calm and composed and a great sense of your agency, like you are ready to get on the court already.

DARRYN PETERSON: Yeah.

Q. What is driving that? Seems like you pushed through the draft experience and you're ready for the court already.

DARRYN PETERSON: The celebration stops tonight. I got drafted today, but tomorrow, I'm now an NBA player. I'm going to get home and work out until I've got to report to Utah.

Like I said, ball is first. So I'm a grinder. Like I said, Kobe is my guy, and I'm inspired by him. So I just try to think, what would Kobe do right now? He'd get drafted and move on and try to go be the best possible. So that's what I'm going to go do. I see a guy that went No. 1 on the screen there right now [AJ Dybantsa]. So I'm extra motivated.

Q. What is one thing you are trying to show the NBA fans in the upcoming Summer League?

DARRYN PETERSON: In the upcoming Summer League, that I'm back to being me. I wasn't completely myself at Kansas.

But this pre-draft, I worked super hard and I'm feeling better than ever. So I'd say I'm back to being me.

Q. So Isaiah Collier wears 8, too.

DARRYN PETERSON: So I'm out of luck. I'm going to have to figure out -- I'm going to have to go to the drawing board and figure something out. Hopefully I can get 22. I'm probably going to text Flip right now, like what I gotta do?

Q. Your backup, you might have to do some work for it too.

DARRYN PETERSON: I might have to just do a whole shift. We are going to see.

Q. What was the most difficult part of the pre-draft process for you?

DARRYN PETERSON: The workouts. I was, yeah, getting pushed to extreme limits. Obviously after the year I had at Kansas, I had to push myself to another level. The workouts were super intense. I had a strict schedule.

I also got a puppy during the process. So I had a lot of stuff going on, trying to work out, trying to train him, trying to spend time with him.

Yeah, probably the workouts was the hardest part, for sure, but I embraced it. And I love ball, so I'm going to do whatever I've got to do to be the best me.

Q. You were the highest Kansas player drafted since Andrew Wiggins. How cool is that and what does that mean to you?

DARRYN PETERSON: Means a lot. Some of the hard work paying off. Had a great year at Kansas. Would do it a million more times. And Rock Chalk, appreciate all those guys. Hopefully they continue to be fans, and hope they are now Utah fans.