Utah Jazz rookie Darryn Peterson just told ESPN he’s feeling “100 percent” healthy after his first three Summer League games in Las Vegas. But get this, the dude is already being held out of their Friday night matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, according to KSL Sports’ Ben Anderson. What in the world is going on here? The No. 2 pick of the 2026 NBA draft has been lighting it up, yet he’s suddenly on the sidelines.
Peterson Was Balling Out in Vegas
This kid was absolutely buzzing to be back on the court, telling ESPN’s Malika Andrews he hadn’t played a game since March. “To be able to go out there and compete with these guys is something I wanted to do,” Peterson said, adding that he had a “ton of fun doing it.” And you could tell! Through those three games, Peterson dropped an average of 20.7 points. Yeah, his shooting percentages , 30.8 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from deep , weren’t exactly sizzling, but he was getting buckets and showing off his all-around game. He was grabbing four rebounds, dishing out 4.7 assists, snatching one steal, and even swatted away 1.3 blocks per game. Talk about filling up the stat sheet! We saw a monster debut with a game-high 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks, and he followed that up with 15 points against the San Antonio Spurs in his third outing. He’s clearly looking like more of a combo option next to Keyonte George, not just a point guard, especially with how much more he’s distributing the ball compared to his 1.6 assists per game at Kansas.
The Lingering Health Questions Nobody’s Talking About
The biggest head-scratcher here is Peterson’s health history, which makes this benching even wilder. He missed serious time during his freshman year at Kansas because of cramping issues. And he’s been super clear about the cause: “health issues due to high doses of creatine.” That’s a specific call-out, right? So, while he’s out there saying he’s “100 percent” and feels like he can “give it my 100 percent every time,” the Jazz are clearly playing it super cautiously. He’s been consistently available for the Jazz lately, which is a huge step after that college season. But the team is going to be holding their breath, hoping he continues to be unaffected by those previous creatine-related health problems. They need him healthy if he’s going to live up to that No. 2 pick hype.
What’s Next for the No. 2 Pick?
So, Peterson sits out tonight, and we’re left wondering what that means for his regular-season NBA debut, which is coming up this fall. The Jazz are obviously hoping that these past health issues are firmly behind him. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance, a true desire to compete, and a versatile game. Now, the big question is whether they can manage his health to ensure he’s ready to roll when the real games start. The whole league will be watching to see if this No. 2 pick can stay on the court and become the player everyone expects him to be.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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