The Salt Lake City Summer League concluded on Tuesday night, with the Utah Jazz coming away with a 103-69 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Utah Jazz’s three undefeated games at the Huntsman Center.
The Darryn Peterson hype is real
From the moment Peterson went left around a pick, and drove in to finish with a crafty right-handed layup on the very first play of Utah’s summer league, fans could sense all-NBA potential with the rookie from Kansas — and NBA teams felt the same way.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon on an episode of “Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective,” one scout at the event told him that Peterson “will be a top-10 player within two years.”
Peterson only played in the first two games of the Salt Lake City Summer League, but the image of Peterson hitting multiple James Harden-esque stepback triples will be enough to hold Jazz fans over until the regular season starts.
In those two games, Peterson averaged 26.5 points and 7.0 assists. Against the Grizzlies, Peterson dished out 12 assists on top of his 25 points, winning the anticipated battle between him and No. 3 pick, Cam Boozer. The Huntsman Center chanted “M-V-P” whenever the rookie went to the line.
One of Peterson’s best attributes, his 3-point shot, was on full display in Salt Lake City.
With less than two minutes to go against the Hawks, Peterson dribbled right around a screen and stepped into a 3-pointer that swished through the net to extend Utah’s lead to seven. In overtime, he dribbled left and hit a step-back three. No matter the shot, no matter the direction, Peterson was able to pick his spot and calmly drain it from deep.
At Kansas, Peterson shot 38.3% from deep. In the Salt Lake City Summer League, that number rose to 43.8%. Expect Peterson to already be one of the premier deep threats in the NBA as a rookie.
Utah found a gem in Blake Hinson
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz forward Blake Hinson (25) as the Utah Jazz face the Atlanta Hawks in a Salt Lake City Summer Leauge basketball game on Tuesday, June 30, 2026
In a quiet midseason move in February, the Utah Jazz signed Blake Hinson from the G League’s Rip City Remix to a two-year, two-way contract. He only played 14 games for a tanking Utah last season, but shot an eye-popping 46.8% from 3-point range.
Hinson was a breakout star of the Jazz’s summer league. Against the Grizzlies, Hinson got so hot from deep that fans in the arena erupted at the mere touch of the ball from an open Hinson. He and Peterson combined for Utah’s first 16 points. Hinson tallied 15 points against Memphis.
“Blake can really shoot, and he’s capable of going on a one-man streak with his 3-point shooting,” Utah Jazz summer league coach Steve Wojciechowski said.
According to Jazz head coach Will Hardy, Hinson has lost about 25 pounds in the offseason, and it’s evident, with Hinson looking noticeably leaner and quicker on the hardwood.
“He’s lost a bunch of weight, and he’s made a huge commitment,” Wojciechowski said. “The conditioning improvement has allowed him to make an impact defensively. The way he moves offensively and defensively, he’s really taken a step forward there.”
Cody Williams will have a role — what that role looks like is unclear
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) as the Utah Jazz host the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA basketball in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 30, 2026.
Cody Williams has bulked up heading into year three, and his confidence against summer league competition was high. Against the Hawks, Williams cocked back his right hand for a posterizing dunk over Asa Newell, and in only two games, he looked all the parts of a veteran.
Williams has worked on becoming a secondary playmaker, and that was evident during his minutes, being on-ball a lot more than he has been during his first two seasons.
“One of the things that he is working on is handling pressure and being able to be a guy who can help with the ball handling,” Wojciechowski said. “We want to give him the opportunity to do that this summer. … These are great opportunities for Cody to learn to handle the ball and to make some decisions.”
Williams had his occasional moment ball handling, and he was effective getting his shot in iso situations. He even made a defender fall over on a crossover from the 3-point line.
But the facilitating numbers were not great for Williams, only totalling two assists and turning the ball over eight times in the two games he played.
Scoring-wise, Williams didn’t struggle, scoring 17 and 18, and his play at the end of the 2025-26 season showed that he can have a role in the NBA, but his loose dribble and decision-making are cause to question if he can actually become the secondary playmaker that Utah wants him to be.
Walker Kessler’s replacement is not on the summer league squad
The Walker Kessler trade will have a big impact on the Jazz’s game plan in 2026-27.
History has shown that Jaren Jackson Jr. is most effective when playing with another center, which makes the Jazz’s re-signing of Jusuf Nurkic and the addition of Jaxson Hayes that much more vital for Utah. However, neither generates the long-term excitement that a Kessler-Jackson frontcourt once provided.
On the Jazz’s summer league roster, the best performances from a center came from 23-year-old Jonas Aidoo. Against the Grizzlies, Aidoo had five blocks, and in the final game of the Salt Lake City Summer League, he had a double-double by halftime. His best chance at cracking Utah’s roster will come in the form of a training camp invite, and even that will be difficult.
Kyle Filipowski, who was the 2025 NBA Summer League MVP, did not participate in this year’s summer league. Filipowski will now have a bigger role than expected with the departure of Kessler.
Keyonte George has turned into a real leader
On the sidelines of the Huntsman Center were Jackson Jr., Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George. They jumped to their feet when Williams broke his defenders’ ankles and when Hinson caught fire against Memphis.
George has been very involved in the Jazz’s summer league practices. After Peterson’s 25-point double-double in game two, the two were conversing and laughing on the court post-game.
On July 3, it was reported that George would be a volunteer assistant coach for the Jazz’s first Las Vegas summer league game against the Wizards on Thursday. This is something the NBA has never seen before, and a lot of discussion between the NBA and the Jazz happened before making this decision. To make it possible, George is not allowed to be compensated for his work on the coaching staff. It is purely voluntary.
“He’s been at every practice,” Wojciechowski said. “He’s been totally engaged.”
When asked whether George was the outright leader of the Utah Jazz, Wojciechowski said that was “yet to be determined,” but noted that George’s work ethic was contagious around the team, and that he had been a massive help for this year’s summer league squad.
George had a breakout campaign in 2025-26, averaging 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game.
What’s next for the Utah Jazz?
The Utah Jazz’s next game will take place in Las Vegas, as Peterson will go head-to-head against the No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa, and the Wizards at 7 p.m. MDT.
Peterson, Williams and Ace Bailey are expected to suit up after the trio sat out the last game in Salt Lake City.
