The Utah Jazz were one of the lottery's winners on May 10, jumping up the board to the No. 2 pick. With Washington locked into AJ Dybantsa at the top, Utah now owns the most consequential decision of the first round: Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer.
The fit argument points to Peterson. Utah has spent two rebuild cycles searching for a lead-guard cornerstone, and the Kansas freshman is widely regarded as the most polished pure scorer in the class — a 6-4½ guard with a 6-9¾ wingspan and an 8-7 standing reach who creates from all three levels. He is the kind of on-ball engine a young roster can be handed the keys to immediately.
The best-player argument points, for some evaluators, at Boozer — the reigning Naismith and AP Player of the Year, the safest floor in the draft, and a frontcourt piece that pairs cleanly with Lauri Markkanen (or replaces him in a trade). Taking Boozer would be the bet that a 20-and-10 forward with elite feel is worth more than a high-usage guard, even on a team that needs guard play.
The one cloud over Peterson is medical: a preseason full-body cramping episode that, while minor and resolved, will draw conservative scrutiny from team doctors because cramping incidents can correlate with future soft-tissue issues. His medical-review meeting is arguably the single most important appointment of any prospect in this draft, and it could be the tiebreaker that decides what Utah does at No. 2.
Whatever the Jazz choose, the player they pass on falls to Memphis at No. 3 — which is why the entire top of the board hinges on this one pick. The full order is on our 2026 NBA Draft Board.