Memphis Grizzlies fans have certainly enjoyed seeing new franchise cornerstone Cameron Boozer do his thing in Summer League play.
NBA Summer League action is approaching the finish line this offseason, and there has been a ton of rookie talent on display.
Memphis Grizzlies fans have certainly enjoyed seeing new franchise cornerstone Cameron Boozer do his thing, and ESPN's post-Summer League rookie rankings confirm what many already know: that Memphis picked up a special talent with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
ESPN's rankings have Boozer as the No. 2 rookie in the class right now, ahead of Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson, who was picked ahead of Boozer in the draft.
The only player Boozer trails in ESPN's rankings is Washington Wizards forward AJ Dybantsa, who was selected No. 1 overall in the draft.
The rankings are based on "the best rookies' potential and their initial showings" at Summer League. The rankings are meant to signify where players stand right now as opposed to a long-term projection.
In putting Boozer at No. 2, ESPN's Zach Kram detailed that the Duke product "should be firmly in the Rookie of the Year race this season despite a perceived lower ceiling than Peterson or Dybantsa."
Boozer has appeared in six total Summer League games, including four in Las Vegas. Overall, he has averaged 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from beyond the arc.
In his most recent appearance on Thursday, he was fantastic, going for 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting while adding seven rebounds and three assists. The performance came in a dominant win for the Grizzlies over the Atlanta Hawks to launch Memphis into the Summer League playoffs.
While it isn't entirely clear if the Grizzlies are going to let Boozer play all the way through the finish line in Vegas, he made it clear after Thursday's victory that the team is playing to win the title.
While there are sure to be some growing pains at times as the Grizzlies move forward with Boozer as their new franchise player, the 18-year-old -- who will turn 19 this weekend -- is showing some incredibly promising signs less than a month after being drafted.
Memphis is looking to turn a corner after missing the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, and the plan for a bright future is starting to come into focus. The Grizzlies are certainly hoping that Boozer proves to be not just the second-best player in his draft class but the top guy in due time.
