Darryn Peterson situation not alarming to NBA teams, ESPN insider says

ESPN NBA draft analyst Jeremy Woo said NBA teams are not dismissing concerns surrounding Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson, but they also are not overreacting as the pre-draft process begins to take shape.

Woo addressed Peterson’s availability issues this season and how they are being viewed inside NBA front offices.

“The biggest thing I’ve gotten back from teams is that it’s a unique situation,” Woo said. “It’s important not to get carried away with all the talk. They don’t have all the answers right now.”

Peterson, who is widely projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has seen his durability questioned amid missed time and late-game absences. Still, Woo shared that teams remain high on his long-term outlook.

“They’re going to need to see his medicals in the spring. They’re going to want to talk to him in interviews,” Woo said. “Is he going to go one? Is he going to go two? The odds of him falling much further than that are not high.”

More: Michigan-Duke ticket prices set a Washington DC record for sporting event

Woo described Peterson as “an incredible talent” and “such a special scorer,” noting that his production when available has kept NBA evaluators interested. 

For now, Woo said, the situation remains incomplete rather than alarming.

“Teams are still very excited about him,” he said. “They just want to know more about what’s happening here.”

More college basketball news:

• Adrian Autry buyout, contract details as Syracuse Orange coach
• Bruce Pearl sends warning to NBA teams about Kansas' Darryn Peterson
• AJ Dybantsa makes college basketball history never done by NBA stars
• John Calipari says college athletics is broken — Here’s his plan to fix it
• Texas Tech's March Madness hopes take major hit with JT Toppin injury