The 2026 NBA Draft class is already shaping up to be one that scouts could keep talking about for years, and one of the headliners of the group is none other than Darryn Peterson, a bucket-getter with elite size and a game that just looks pro-ready every time he steps on the floor. There’s only been one problem for the Kansas Jayhawks star, he’s missed a lot of games.
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The 19-year-old, who is expected to be a top pick in ’26, missed 11 of the Jayhawks’ first 26 games this season. The reasons were due to lower extremity injuries, particularly ankle, hamstrings, and cramps. When he’s on the court he’s electric, but with franchises dishing out huge amounts of money, it’s important that this doesn’t turn into a Zion Williamson situation—a young player with lots of potential who is just not available.
Charles Barkley is certainly curious. The Hall of Famer, who has been apart of the March Madness coverage this year, appeared on Jim Rome to discuss Peterson’s bright future. As excited as the Suns legend is to see where Peterson lands, he anticipates NBA teams grilling him on his injury issues.
“The questions are there. They are fair questions. When you are going to give a guy 10s to 100s of millions of dollars, you got to know he’s going to be available. He missed a lot of games,” began Barkley, who then tried to predict where the freshman might go when the draft happens later this year.
“I wasn’t exactly sure how many games he missed. He’s got to go 1, 2, or 3. But for him not to be all conference first team was kind of a shock to me. He’s got tremendous talent, I talked about it Saturday. But his interview process is going to be very interesting. He’s got to answer some questions.”
“His interview process is going to be very interesting. He’s got to answer some questions.”
Charles Barkley on projected top pick and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson. pic.twitter.com/U6WEkFCLDa
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) March 23, 2026
The NBA is currently making a boatload of money. They currently have a $77 billion media deal that’s valid for 11 years, and that is only going to be more beneficial for players in the league and the young bloods coming in. But not every franchise is swimming in cash. Teams need superstars for their markets, and if they aren’t on the court, it’s only putting a bigger dent in their wallet.
“When you give a guy 200-300 million dollars, he’s got to be available,” added Barkley.
Again, he’s not wrong. Kansas may have been bounced from the tourney by St. John’s, but that hasn’t hurt Peterson’s stock. The only thing that could hurt him is, well, himself.
At the end of the day, it’s not really about talent with Peterson. Everyone already knows he’s got that. It’s about trust, durability, and whether a front office feels comfortable handing him the keys to the franchise from day one. If he can ease those concerns during the pre-draft process, he’s still a lock to hear his name called early and could end up being the steal of the class.
But if the questions linger, don’t be surprised if a team overthinks it and lets him slide just a bit. Either way, all eyes are on him now, and how he handles this stretch might matter just as much as anything he’s done on the court.
