Almost one year into the Ace Bailey era, it's easy to forget that many were concerned about the Utah Jazz picking Ace Bailey. Bailey didn't exactly have the smoothest draft workout process, and there were immediate rumors that he didn't want to play in Utah. That didn't stop them from picking him, and they've done nothing but reap the rewards. If Darryn Peterson falls to them, they should do the same.
Yahoo Sports! Kevin O'Connor projected the Jazz to take Peterson with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. KOC summarized why Peterson ranks so highly in what is believed to be a loaded draft.
"Peterson is a buttery smooth scorer with a blend of fluid body control and positional size that gives him the ingredients to become an elite NBA player."
Despite that, there have been some concerns after a pretty bizarre season with Kansas. Even so, his talent is worth the risk like it was with Bailey, as O'Connor points out.
"If he falls to the fourth pick because of concerns over his body — cramping, 11 of 35 missed games, and other strange issues — there’s a chance it will turn out to be a mistake. That’s why the Jazz, in this slot, can afford to take a big swing. Just like they did one year ago for Ace Bailey even though he didn’t want to go to Utah. And that sure is looking smart."
This has been brought up before, and for good reason. There were concerns about Bailey, but he put those to bed pretty quickly. To make it even sweeter, it really felt as though he was starting to figure some things out in his rookie season with Utah.
Enigmatic prospects don't always work out, but players like Bailey prove why they are worth the risk.
Jazz have the talent to withstand Peterson being a bust
Peterson could raise the Jazz's long-term ceiling higher than ever before. He could also be a bust who turns out to be a waste of a No. 4 pick when it's all said and done. Utah would prefer the more optimistic scenario, obviously, but the beauty of their roster is that it's not the end of the world if Peterson doesn't pan out.
The Jazz's roster already has quite a few talented players on it that if Peterson doesn't turn into the player they'd like him to be, that shouldn't really hurt their long-term hopes and dreams.
Detroit drafted one of the most infamous draft busts in NBA history in Darko Milicic, and still won the title the year after they picked him. They maybe could have won more if they had taken Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, or Dwyane Wade, but a title is a title.
Utah would love a dynasty in the coming years, but they're good enough that they could win a title even if Peterson follows in Milicic's footsteps.
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