ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins is making a bold prediction on the talent of former Kansas star Darryn Peterson. The NBA draft is one day away, and many are wondering who will be selected first of all by the Washington Wizards. Both Peterson and former BYU star AJ Dybantsa have been rumored as the two prospects that could potentially go number one.

Regardless of Peterson's position in the draft, Perkins believes that he has the potential to reach a Kobe Bryant-esque ceiling. He spoke about his point of view on the Road Trippin' podcast

“His floor is Bradley Beal. His ceiling skill-wise, like, his ability to be able to get buckets at all three levels is like Kobe Bryant. Yeah. And I say that sh*t, I say that respectfully. I say that respectfully. I'm not saying he's gonna have a Kobe Bryant-type career. I'm talking about the talent level there.”

He then went on to explain why he compares his skill set to the five-time NBA champion.

“It's nothing that this man can't do. You is not stopping this young man from getting any shot. He gets any shot, he gets to any spot he wants to.”

John Wall, who was also featured on the panel, agreed with Perkins' assessment.

“But Perk, you ain't the only one saying that though, Perk. Everybody say that's his ceiling, and everybody say this his floor. You know what I mean? Mm. Ain't nobody denying it. Like you said, only thing people wanna know is what the hell your camp was doing to not let you be out there exposing what you really could do. He know it. Look at the games when you play AJ [Dybantsa].”

In ClutchPoints Senior NBA Reporter Brett Siegel's latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft, Darryn Peterson is featured as the number two pick, selected by the Utah Jazz. He has received immense buzz for his playmaking skills, which he showcased during his time at Incess, but there have been questions about his availability as he dealt with injury misfortune during his college.