While Peterson has met with the Wizards, he “does not plan to grant another team a meeting,” per ESPN’s Shams Charania and Jeremy Woo. That’s a less than ideal setup for Utah, which could have questions about Peterson’s health after his stop-and-go season with the Jayhawks or might want a better feel for his character and leadership qualities.
This won’t, however, dictate which direction the Jazz will go. Just ask swingman Ace Bailey, who avoided Utah in the 2025 pre-draft process and still wound up there as the No. 5 pick. What could impact the decision, though, is the Jazz being reportedly “genuinely torn” on whether to take Peterson or Cameron Boozer (or Dybantsa if he slipped past No. 1), per The Athletic’s Tony Jones.
The Jazz might have a real affinity for Boozer—for a lot of reasons that don’t involve his father, Carlos Boozer, previously playing for and now working for them—but they don’t have need for him in their crowded frontcourt. They do, however, have pressing needs for the shotmaking, defense and creation Peterson could provide in a potentially super prolific pairing with breakout guard Keyonte George.