Emptying the Utah Jazz Summer League notebook: Darryn Peterson and more
Jul 19, 2026, 2:38 PM
Utah’s Cody Williams, Ace Bailey and No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson talk while watching the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder play in Summer League action at the Huntsman Center on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz just wrapped up their eighth and final Summer League game, and now the three-month basketball drought truly begins.
Luckily for Jazz fans, the last two weeks of hoops provided plenty of highlights and talking points to help bridge the gap to the 2026-27 season. At the top of that list was the first extended look at No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson.
That said, the hype that followed Peterson almost drowned out some of the other things we saw from members of Utah’s young core. Let’s break it all down.
Utah Jazz Summer League Recap
Looking at the stats
Across eight games, three in Salt Lake City and five in Las Vegas, the Jazz went 5-3. After posting a perfect 3-0 record at the Huntsman Center, the team came to the Thomas & Mack and snuck out two wins in five games.
The Jazz’s Summer League roster featured four players who are slated to crack the 15-man roster next season. Peterson, Ace Bailey, Cody Williams, and Blake Hinson.
Stats for those four are listed below:
- Darryn Peterson – 23.0 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 39.8/34.5/77.8 shooting splits (5 games played)
- Ace Bailey – 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 steals on 30.8/0.0/100 shooting splits (2 games played)
- Cody Williams – 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1,8 steals, 1.0 blocks on 52.5/50.0/66.7 shooting splits (4 games played)
- Blake Hinson – 8.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.0 blocks on 35.4/27.9/53.8 shooting splits (8 games played)
Other players on the roster showed flashes, perhaps none more than Orlando Robinson and Jonas Aidoo. Those two held down the paint for Utah and averaged near double-doubles with points and rebounds. Aidoo added 3.3 blocks per game.
Darryn Peterson’s averages across five Summer League appearances:
🎵 23.0 points
🎵 5.2 assists
🎵 3.2 rebounds
🎵 1.2 blocks
🎵 1.0 steals pic.twitter.com/fMyEVXCd8W— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) July 18, 2026
Best game of the summer
My pick for the Utah Jazz’s Summer League game of the year would be the second match at the Huntsman Center on July 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Jazz took a 109-100 victory against one of the better Summer League rosters in the association, headlined by No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and All-Rookie First-Team forward Cedric Coward.
This was arguably Peterson’s best performance over the last two weeks. He finished with 25 points, 12 assists, two steals and only two turnovers while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
Williams tacked on an efficient 18 points paired with eight rebounds and two stocks. It also might’ve been Hinson’s best game as he added 15 points with four made threes.
RELATED: Darryn Peterson silences critics in summer league outing against Cam Boozer, Grizzlies
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Individual takeaways
Ace Bailey
Unfortunately, Jazz fans only got a taste of hoops from the sophomore wing as he played in just two games for a total of 28 minutes.
His second run in Summer League left a lot to be desired, even in limited minutes, but dealing with back spasms surely played a role in that.
Considering the small sample size, the main thing for Bailey is the fact that he looks like he has put on considerable weight since the season closed in mid-April.
Assuming he can continue to get bigger without losing any bounce or quickness, Bailey’s game could largely benefit from the ability to dictate the game physically. He showed the ability to get to his spots and run in transition as a rookie, but in most cases he did so with finesse.
Both Cody and Ace are noticeably bigger.
— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) July 4, 2026
Cody Williams
For different reasons, Williams’ Summer League run also came up a bit short in a few ways.
His counting stats looked solid, especially the shooting percentages. But there were still the handful of moments, runs, and games where he didn’t really jump off the page. It’s almost an expectation that a third-year player should dominate in the Summer League. That wasn’t always the case for Williams.
In every game, he was undoubtedly one of the best defenders and athletes on the floor at all times. That absolutely means something. However, his offensive game hasn’t progressed as some might have hoped.
Williams won’t be tasked with much scoring or shooting if he is a rotational player for the Jazz this season. His bread and butter will be on defense and as a secondary playmaker. Still, it would have been nice to see some of those things against lesser competition in SLC and in Vegas.
Cody Williams’ averages over four Summer League appearances:
12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1,8 steals, 1.0 blocks on 52.5/50.0/66.7 shooting splits pic.twitter.com/rkEQBiVDtm
— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) July 18, 2026
Darryn Peterson
Last but not least is the newest member of the Utah Jazz. The No. 2 pick in the 2026 draft.
There were dozens of highlights and multiple standout performances for the rookie. Peterson had excellent defensive activity, drew fouls and got to the line like a veteran scorer, and showed the ability to get his teammates involved. There were some low moments, but he gave a taste of every facet in his game.
RELATED: Darryn Peterson’s promise shines through as Utah Jazz struggle in Vegas
The main, and possibly only real, negative takeaway is the fact that it was a tale of two halves for Peterson.
He popped off at the SLC Summer League, averaging 26.5 points and seven assists on really good shooting splits of 52.8/43.8/83.3. In Vegas, his numbers dropped to 20.7 points and four assists, and his shooting splits tanked to 30.8/23.1/76.2.
Off nights are to be expected from young score-first guards, but the night-and-day difference between the two events potentially raises some conditioning concerns.
All in all, it was a wildly successful Summer League run for Peterson, and his game has already piqued the interest of Jazz fans and the NBA world.
— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) July 16, 2026
What’s next in the offseason?
With Vegas Summer League coming to a close, the NBA is about to enter its quietest time of the year.
Over the next three months, there will be little in the way of news surrounding the Jazz, barring more free agency signings or any trades.
The next milestone comes in late September, when NBA teams begin holding their preseason media days. Immediately after that is training camp, which marks the beginning of the ramp up to the regular season.
