According to Adam Finkelstein, the intel floating around Chicago during the combine was that AJ Dybantsa was hoping to stay in Utah.
From Finkelstein:
That comment by Dybantsa was also consistent with one of the most repeated pieces of intel floating around Chicago this week: that Dybantsa was reportedly hoping to stay in Utah.
He’s been in Utah now for two years (one season at Utah Prep and one season in Provo at BYU). His family is now with him in Utah, and they’ve grown to like the state and were hoping to stay.
The question for the Jazz is, if Dybantsa goes #1, then who do they end up picking? It sounds like the Jazz are fine with Darryn Peterson as that pick.
So what will the Jazz do at No. 2, especially considering Cameron Boozer’s dad, Carlos Boozer, currently works for the organization in a scouting role? Most expect Kansas guard Darryn Peterson to be the Jazz’s pick here. While there’s more public speculation about other options, sources around the combine speak with almost the same level of confidence that Peterson goes No. 2 as they do Washington taking Dybantsa at No. 1.
Peterson is not only a good fit for Utah’s current roster, but some people, including myself, wonder if some inside the Jazz front office might consider him to be a superior talent. The Ainges, Danny and Austin, have long been known to follow the top prospects in high school basketball, and so they are undoubtedly aware of what Peterson’s game and reputation were before this year’s availability issues.
The more information we get, the more it seems like the Jazz are going to be in great shape regardless of what the Wizards do. If Utah prefers Peterson and he falls to them at #2, they should be ecstatic. If the Wizards don’t pick Dybantsa and take Peterson, then Utah gets the local favorite in Dybantsa with the insane physical tools that has incredible upside. It’s a win-win for the Jazz either way.
It’s really hard to overstate how big this is for the Utah Jazz. They are getting a #1 caliber player, no matter what the Wizards do. What an incredible beginning to this new era of Jazz basketball.
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