Former NBA player isn’t concerned about Darryn Peterson

“What we have to understand is, today’s athlete is not yesterday’s athlete. They’re two different things.”

Fomer Sacramento Kings player Henry “The High Flyer” Turner joined The Drive Guys to discuss the polarizing top of the 2026 NBA Draft, if the Sacramento Kings are an ideal landing spot for one of those guys, and more.

The Kings are in a three-way tie for the best odds headed into the 2026 NBA Draft lottery, and it’s unlikely they’ll play their way out of that spot. It seems like the consensus top-four picks are Darryn Peterson (Kansas), AJ Dybansta (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke), and Caleb Wilson (UNC), with the first two names on that list seemingly battling for the top spot.

Peterson has had a weird freshman season with the Jayhawks, to say the least. There have been multiple occasions where he’s missed games, some where he hardly plays in the second half, and even a moment where fans noticed him seemingly signaling to prestigious head coach Bill Self to check him out of the action. While some have speculated it’s injury-related, it’s drawn varying levels of concern from analysts.

When asked about it, Turner said he understands where Peterson is coming from, being in line for a big payday in the NBA.

“I’m not upset at Peterson,” he said. “I’m not upset at him at all because, you know what, if I’m Peterson, in today’s game, I’m not even playing right now. I’m shutting it down. Why play? You can’t go no higher.”

“You get projected to come out number one, why are you playing? You know it’s a 99.9 percent chance you’re going to get drafted number one or two. Why play? It’s a 50/50 chance that you go out and play with Kansas and blow your knee out. I’m not going against those odds.”

He went on to explain that Peterson could continue to work out on his own and make it clear he’s doing so by posting to social media media and contacting any NBA teams who may be curious if that were the case.

“You would see a young man in the lab getting ready,” Turner continued. “I’m getting ready for the NBA. I don’t have to worry about Kansas. I’m not doing nothing here. My job is done here. (AJ) Dybantsa, the same way. I would do the exact same thing. Now, I know it’s a little step down from three to four, but if I’m those two guys, I’m not playing no more. I’m shutting it down.”

Check out the full interview with Henry Turner by scrolling to the top of the page or by clicking here.

Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Report: Domantas Sabonis offseason trade ‘not a certainty’
• Darryn Peterson responds to availability criticism: ‘Basketball is my life.’
• Where the Sacramento Kings roster stands after adding Hayes & Baldwin
• Draft Expert: Kings fans should ‘throw a parade’ if Dybantsa lands in SAC

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

The Sacramento Kings will conclude a five-game road trip on Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sacramento is 1-2 against the Lakers this season, although they won the most recent matchup between the two teams–a 124-112 win at Golden 1 Center on January 12th–behind 32 points from DeMar DeRozan.

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:00 PM PT on Game Night before a 6:30 pm PT tip-off from downtown Los Angeles.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season

• Sunday, March 1st @ Los Angeles Lakers – 6:30 PM PT
• Tuesday, March 3rd vs. Phoenix Suns – 8:00 PM PT
• Thursday, March 5th vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PT
• Sunday, March 8th vs. Chicago Bulls – 6:00 PM PT
• Tuesday, March 10th vs. Indiana Pacers – 7:00 PM PT

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