Darryn Peterson Cancels Jazz Workout, Bets on Wizards at No. 1 in 2026 NBA Draft

Darryn Peterson canceled his scheduled Utah Jazz workout this week and will meet with no other team before the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, leaving the Washington Wizards as the only franchise to have hosted him on-site. The Kansas guard's camp told CBS Sports they are "very confident" he goes No. 1 overall to Washington, a public posture designed to push Wizards general manager Will Dawkins off the AJ Dybantsa consensus. The draft is six days away and the FanDuel market still has Dybantsa at minus-280 to be selected first.

Peterson spent multiple days inside the Wizards' facility for an extensive on-court workout and front office interview, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. He flew home and shut the rest of the pre-draft circuit down. Utah, which picks second, was the only other top-two team scheduled to host him. The Jazz say they were not surprised and will take Peterson if Washington passes, per KSL Sports.

What Peterson Is Actually Trying to Do

This is leverage, not a tantrum. Peterson is the cleanest point guard prospect in the class and he knows the second pick of a Wizards-Jazz draft is a worse landing spot than the first one. Salt Lake City has Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and a coaching staff that earned a five-year extension. Washington has Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and the league's worst record at 18-64. Peterson would shoulder the offense on day one in DC and inherit Cade Cunningham's old role: a primary-action guard on a young roster with no incumbent at the position.

The Wizards have not blinked publicly. Sources connected to ownership still expect Washington to select Dybantsa, per Yardbarker and the Roundtable.io Wizards beat. Front office decision-makers consider Dybantsa the safer wing bet and a cleaner positional fit next to George and Sarr.

The Case for Peterson at No. 1

Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals at Kansas while shooting 38.2 percent from three on 6.8 attempts. He earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors and Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention. The pull-up jumper grades out at the top of the class and the pick-and-roll efficiency was the cleanest in the Kansas system since the early 2010s.

Three numbers the Wizards have to weigh:

1. 20.2 points per game on 38.2 percent from three at 6.8 attempts (88th percentile among Division I point guards on volume and efficiency). 2. 1.7 turnover-to-assist concern, which is the one structural worry in the profile. 3. Durability concerns after he missed roughly 11 games as a freshman to hamstring, ankle, cramping, and illness, the medical flag that knocked him off the consensus No. 1 chair early in the cycle.

The case against is volatility and the lateral-quickness questions on defense. The case for is positional value: lead guards age better than wings and the Wizards have no real answer at the position.

Dybantsa Is Still the Money

The FanDuel No. 1 market did not move on the Peterson news as of Wednesday afternoon. Dybantsa sits at minus-280, Peterson plus-230, Cameron Boozer plus-1100. The over-under on Dybantsa's draft position is 1.5 with the under at minus-450.

Boozer is the leverage angle if the Wizards push Dybantsa toward a 1B finish. The Duke forward averaged 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds, won National Player of the Year, and is the most NBA-ready of the three. The plus-1100 to go first sits well below his honest probability if Washington trades back, which itself is plus-900.

Betting and DFS Impact

Rookie of the Year futures shifted slightly on the Peterson visit. Peterson now sits at plus-275 on DraftKings as of Wednesday morning, with Dybantsa at plus-200, Boozer at plus-450, and Caleb Wilson at plus-1100. The Peterson number is the leverage play if you read the leak as Washington-bound: a Wizards lead guard on an 18-win team gets the volume to clear 20 points per game and the assist numbers to claim the Hardin-style stat-line ROY win.

The Wizards trade-down market is the secondary swing. Washington trading the pick is plus-900 at DraftKings. Utah trading up is plus-600. The field is plus-150. Memphis at No. 3 still draws the heaviest trade volume thanks to ongoing Ja Morant speculation.

DFS angle for opening night of summer league in mid-July: Peterson's price will be inflated by the early narrative if he lands in Washington, which usually opens an under value on his first NBA game. The reverse is true for Dybantsa, whose price tends to be discounted when expectations are highest.

What to Watch Next

The Wizards travel to Las Vegas Friday for the final Dybantsa workout per ESPN's Givony. Cameron Boozer is in Washington over the weekend. The draft order remains Washington, Utah, Memphis (via Phoenix), Chicago, Charlotte at the top. Watch for a Wizards announcement on June 21 or 22, which is the historical window for first-pick certainty leaks. If Peterson goes No. 1, the FanDuel market needs an eight-line swing inside 48 hours, which is the cleanest single live-betting angle on the calendar this month.

Chad AI tracks every NBA Draft prop and rookie futures line inside the StatSniper app. The NBA daily picks page is updating the draft slate as boards firm. For the broader board context, the 2026 NBA Draft preview with Dybantsa at minus-280 covers the top 14 and the case for each player at the top.

Lottery order and prospect rankings sourced from ESPN and NBA.com.

If you bet on the draft, keep your stakes small and your expectations sober. The first pick market is the cleanest single bet on the calendar at this point, but rookie season futures are six months and 82 games away. Responsible gambling resources are available at 1-800-GAMBLER.