Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa have spent the past several years crossing paths on their way to the NBA ... and now they'll do so as professionals outside of a summer setting.
The 2026-27 NBA regular-season schedule is officially set, and with it comes two more dates in a matchup Utah Jazz fans should probably become accustomed to seeing.
Peterson and the Jazz will welcome Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards to Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 27 before traveling to Washington for another meeting exactly one week later on March 6.
Utah-Washington isn't exactly a rivalry. But the two rookies tasked with becoming foundational pieces for their respective franchises already have enough history to make both games worth circling.
Long before they became the top two selections in June's NBA Draft, Peterson and Dybantsa were two of the most highly regarded prospects in the country.
Their paths eventually crossed in college, too.
Peterson's Kansas Jayhawks hosted Dybantsa and BYU in January for a matchup carrying considerably more intrigue than your typical Big 12 game. Kansas secured a 90-82 victory, giving Peterson another win in a head-to-head meeting between the two eventual top picks.
A few months later ... the debate surrounding them followed both players to draft night.
Washington selected Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick, making him the first player off the board in one of the most anticipated draft classes in recent memory. Utah then grabbed Peterson one selection later.
And the comparisons didn't stop there.
Dybantsa and Peterson headlined the opening night of Las Vegas Summer League in July, and their first matchup as professionals delivered.
Dybantsa finished with a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds while Peterson led Utah with 24 points. Washington escaped with a 92-88 victory, adding another chapter before either player had even appeared in an official NBA game.
That's what makes Feb. 27 such a highly anticipated tilt.
By then, Peterson and Dybantsa will have four months of regular-season basketball behind them. We'll know considerably more about how each has adjusted, where they fit alongside their new teammates and what the early returns look like on Washington and Utah's franchise-altering draft decisions.
Neither player needs to embrace a rivalry for the comparisons to continue, either.
Dybantsa will always be the player Washington selected with Peterson available. Peterson will always be the player Utah landed one selection later. And if both become anything close to what their respective franchises envision, Feb. 27 and March 6 won't be the last dates Jazz fans circle when the Wizards appear on the schedule.
Their amateur careers established the history. Summer League gave us the preview.
Now Peterson and Dybantsa get two that count.