Kansas' Darryn Peterson Declares for NBA Draft After ‘Much Reflection'

It was assumed that the Kansas Jayhawks’ heartbreaking NCAA Tournament loss to St. John’s on March 22 was Darryn Peterson’s final game at KU.

“I’m not sure it was my last,” Peterson said after the game.

One reporter asked whether he had doubts about declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, and Peterson said, “Yeah, I still have to talk to my family. So, I’m not sure what the next year holds.”

Whether Peterson was genuinely uncertain or throwing a smokescreen, he definitely knows now.

The projected lottery pick posted a lengthy statement declaring for the draft on Friday.

Peterson thanked his teammates, friends, and everyone at KU for their “belief in me, your encouragement, and your constant support.” He also thanked his family before writing, “After much reflection and prayer, I am proud to announce my decision to declare for the NBA draft. This has been my lifelong dream, and I am excited for the future.”

Instagram embed will be rendered here

Peterson’s first and only season at Kansas was tumultuous. In March, he opened up to The Kansas City Star’s Shreyas Laddha about “traumatic” full-body cramping he suffered earlier in the season, which required hospitalization. Overall, he missed 11 games due to various ailments and injuries.

Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals across 24 games for the 24-11 Jayhawks.

After losing to St. John’s, Peterson also credited head coach Bill Self for always believing in him “through all the ups and downs” and said he’d like KU fans to remember him as “a player that went out there and played hard every time he could.”

All season long, Peterson was universally projected as a top-3 pick and often touted as the No. 1 overall pick in this class. But Yahoo! Sports NBA senior analyst Kevin O’Connor has him sliding out of the top three in his latest mock draft - but only to No. 4 overall, where the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder would scoop him up.

O’Connor noted that there’s only a 7.1% chance that the Thunder move into the top four, but what a nightmare for the league if they do.

“For the Thunder, he could be worth the swing anyway,” O’Connor wrote of Peterson. “Because if he's a hit, [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander]-Peterson would have the upside to be the NBA's best backcourt for the next decade. And if he doesn't, SGA-[Jalen] Williams already does.”

The 2026 draft lottery is scheduled for May 10. The current lottery odds can be found at ESPN.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 12:02 PM.