is making his preferred destination pretty clear.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Peterson, , has visited the , but does not plan to take any additional trips, including to the , who hold the No. 2 pick. Washington, of course, holds the top spot in next week’s NBA Draft.
Sources told CBS Sports that, as of today, that report is true, but noted that Peterson did meet with Utah’s front office at last month’s NBA Draft Combine. They also stipulated that he didn’t just visit Washington for a standard workout, but stayed for an extensive visit, spanning multiple days and more than one on-court workout.
Peterson’s decision not to visit Utah, according to sources, is meant to be a statement, not to the Jazz, but to the Wizards. With speculation that top prospect might prefer Utah, where he played his college basketball and his family currently resides, Peterson is letting Washington know that he wants to be a Wizard.
To be clear, Dybantsa is very much still in play to be the top overall pick — and is the heavy favorite — but this confirms what we have been saying since the night of the lottery. The Wizards taking Dybantsa is not, and was not, a foregone conclusion.
If Peterson’s ploy is unsuccessful, and Dybantsa still goes No. 1, the question will then become if his tactics will have consequences. While Utah is unlikely to be swayed by his decision to not visit — remember that they drafted under identical circumstances a year ago — it is at least noteworthy that they recently hosted . Whether Boozer’s visit was already scheduled or somehow connected to Peterson’s decision not to visit remains unclear.
While the Duke forward, who was the college basketball player of the year and is currently the No. 3-ranked prospect on the CBS Sports Big Board, should be a legitimate candidate to go anywhere in the top three, there are real questions about how he would fit on a roster that already includes Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markannen.
It is also worth noting that Boozer’s father, Carlos Boozer, currently works for the Jazz’ front office. While that isn’t going to impact their ultimate decision of who to draft, they’d be less likely to work Boozer out unless they were really serious about him. In other words, it’s unlikely Utah would have brought Boozer to town unless there were real scenarios they were entertaining.
One scenario, which Sam Quinn discussed Monday on CBS Sports Network, would be trading Markkanen, and capitalizing on what should be a strong market for the 29-year-old all-star. The could be a potential partner with a defensive-oriented wings like or Ron Holland potentially involved. Another option would be moving Kessler, especially with a contract decision coming. A sign-and-trade could allow Utah to avoid a major long-term commitment while reshaping the frontcourt around Jackson and Boozer. While that tandem would like a true center, Boozer’s rebounding could help address one of Jackson’s deficiencies and allow him to roam as a weak-side rim protector.
The bottom line is that just as we can’t dismiss Peterson as a possibility at No. 1, nor can we dismiss Boozer as a possibility at No. 2.
With the draft now just one week away, we actually have more questions than answers.
