Kansas PG Predicted to Join Star

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Kansas star Darryn Peterson has a chance to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

Top NBA draft prospects like Kansas guard Darryn Peterson are using March Madness as a chance to make their case to be the No. 1 pick. For stars like BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, there was a limited opportunity after the Cougars were upset in their opening NCAA Tournament game.

Few players elicit a wide array of opinions quite like Peterson. The Jayhawks star’s freshman season has been dominated by headlines with plenty of mystery surrounding his varied availability during his time in Kansas.

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo still projects Peterson will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Let’s dive into the latest rumors on Peterson’s NBA draft stock.

NBA Mock Draft 2026: Kansas Star Darryn Peterson Is Predicted To Be Selected by the Kings With the No. 1 Pick

Peterson is predicted to be selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 1 pick in Woo’s latest mock draft. The analyst cited Peterson’s early lead on the field as being too much to move the guard off the No. 1 slot.

“Much has been discussed about Peterson and his candidacy for No. 1 over the course of a tumultuous season,” Woo detailed in his March 11, 2026 story titled, “2026 NBA mock draft: Who’s rising and falling ahead of March Madness?” “His issues with cramping and inconsistent play have heightened the perceived risk around taking him first, but he remains the most gifted offensive player in the draft. NBA teams have varying levels of concern but won’t have complete information around his long-term health or other intangibles until later in the process.

“The battle for No. 1 is close enough between Peterson and AJ Dybantsa to the point where league sources broadly view this as a matter of which team ultimately makes the pick. Cameron Boozer’s dominant season has also kept him in the debate,” Woo added.

“It’s important to keep in mind how strongly many evaluators felt about Peterson coming into the season, particularly scouts who saw him play in high school.”

NBA Draft Rumors: The Kings Could Pair Darryn Peterson With Zach LaVine

During the 2025-26 regular season, Peterson averaged 20.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 23 appearances. Peterson hit 38.2% of his three-point attempts while shooting 44.3% from the field.

Peterson is listed at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, offering size which should allow the star to play both point guard and shooting guard in the NBA. If the Kings were able to land Peterson, Sacramento could potentially pair the guard with veteran Zach LaVine.

The 2-time All-Star is on a five-year, $215 million contract that is slated to go through the 2026-27 season. LaVine could opt out of his deal this offseason, but it is hard to imagine the guard finding a $48.9 million salary with another team next season.

Peterson has yet to announce a decision about his NBA future, but the widespread expectation is that the Kansas guard along with Dybantsa will declare for the draft. Unlike Dybantsa, Peterson has a chance to go on a deep March Madness run to strengthen his case for the No. 1 pick in front of NBA scouts and executives on a few more occasions.

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams