Darryn

Peterson

Peterson was a star during summer league in Salt Lake City, and that commanded the attention of Washington’s defense for the entire game. From the beginning, the Wizards applied full-court pressure when Peterson brought the ball up and made his life incredibly difficult. Though he still had some star flashes, this was by far his worst performance of the summer. He was reckless with the ball at times and committed nine fouls. He’ll look to bounce back against the Clippers on Sunday.

After dishing out two assists in his summer debut on Saturday, Peterson was elite as a playmaker on Monday. Two turnovers offset his 12 assists, and the second overall pick in last month’s draft also shot over 50 percent from the field. Even with the Jazz having Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier on the roster, there will be times when they need Peterson to do more playmaking for others. His improved ability to balance searching for his shot with getting others involved was highly encouraging and a reminder of the fantasy value he may provide as a rookie.

Peterson made his Jazz debut in front of the home crowd in the team’s first game of the Salt Lake City Summer League. Typically, summer league doesn’t correlate directly with success as a rookie, but if this debut from Peterson is an indicator, he’s going to be a star. The scoring was always going to be a strength, but he also showcased a lot as a passer and as a defender, even if the stats didn’t line up. Peterson has a strong case to start in year one on a team that will be pushing for the playoffs, which should allow him to be one of the better rookies in fantasy basketball.

Due to health issues throughout the season, Peterson had some questions to answer during the pre-draft prospects. However, whatever concerns there may be, the former Kansas guard is still viewed as one of the best players in this class, regardless of position. In 24 appearances, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.6 three-pointers, shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 82.6 percent from the field. Where he needs to improve is setting up others, as Peterson finished the year with 38 assists and 38 turnovers. Even with Keyonte George coming off the best season of his NBA career and Isaiah Collier providing depth off the bench, Peterson’s scoring ability will get him plenty of opportunities to contribute immediately in Utah.

Acquired from the Hawks in early January, Young appeared in five games for the Wizards before being shut down in mid-March. Had he opted into the final season of his contract, the point guard would have earned nearly $49 million. And this may not be a case in which Young is opting out to negotiate a deal with the Wizards that would give the team more cap space. According to the report, there’s a belief that “multiple teams” will show interest in signing Young. Washington is perceived to be the favorite to sign Young, but that isn’t guaranteed. The question is whether this will affect how the Wizards view the first overall pick in next week’s draft. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is considered the favorite to go first, but Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has refused to work out for any team other than the Wizards.

While Peterson is one of the top prospects in this draft class, most have assumed that BYU’s AJ Dybantsa will be the first overall pick in next week’s draft. However, the former Kansas guard is reportedly operating as if he only has eyes for Washington, refusing to meet with the other teams at the top of the draft lottery. Utah, which picks second, dealt with a similar situation last summer, but it did not keep them from selecting Ace Bailey fifth overall. Whether Washington’s acquisition of Trae Young will affect their thinking regarding Peterson is unknown, but the most recent reports make it clear that the 6-foot-5 guard wants to hear his name called first overall.