On a roster filled with far too many guards, the two young ones most likely to be part of Chicago's long-term plan, Jaden Ivey and Rob Dillingham, played little to no minutes. Replacing them were two older players who likely won't even be on the team next year. So, today's players from the 2026 NBA Draft to watch this week will be potential replacements for them, but, knowing this coaching philosophy, they might struggle to see the floor on this team anyway.
Peterson has missed the last six games with the injury. "Darryn is not going to play tonight," coach Bill Self said in a statement. "He is very close. He has worked his butt off, but he is still not 100 percent. He is day-to-day. Peterson averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the first two games of the season before missing the rest of the month.
Speaking at Big 12 media day on Wednesday, Peterson -- a five-star recruit and 6-foot-6 guard who is projected to go No. 1 in ESPN's latest 2026 NBA mock draft -- said he's focused on helping the Jayhawks win this season, not the chatter about his future. "I handle it by not even paying any attention to it," Peterson told ESPN. "I'm just going to go out and play and win games."