The Cameron Boozer buzz isn't showing any signs of stopping with one month to go before the Memphis Grizzlies open their season.
Even though the Memphis Grizzlies didn't have the first (or even second) pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the consensus seems to be that they landed a truly special prospect at No. 3 overall.
One-and-done college star Cameron Boozer was fantastic at Duke, continued to impress in Summer League and is getting all sorts of attention as his rookie season with the Grizzlies approaches.
Now, an NBA scout is adding more praise, telling Sports Illustrated that Boozer is the "surest bet" of this rookie class.
“I think Cameron Boozer is the surest bet of this rookie class,” the scout said. “He can shoot the three already and he can pass. In Memphis, he is going to have the ball all the time. I would think he will have a pretty good season in terms of being a playmaker, spacing the floor, and then if he could find a good pick-and-roll partner, hitting that ball in the pocket and making plays with his vision, I think he'd be a pretty good weapon offensively, even though he's not known as great of an athlete or physical specimen or anything like that. He still has decent size. And when you can shoot, all of a sudden you're a little bit bigger.”
Boozer, a popular pick to be named Rookie of the Year this coming season, has been described as the most NBA-ready player of this year's draft class. He is also joining a Grizzlies team where he's in line to play a large, high-usage role right away, so he is a very strong candidate to have a big debut campaign.
And beyond the 2026-27 season, the future may be even brighter for the 19-year-old. The Grizzlies are going to give him time to develop and become the new face of their franchise, and if all goes to plan, the end result will feature Boozer as the centerpiece on a contending team.
At Duke, the star prospect left no doubt about whether he was ready for the next level. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from long range. It's a rare feat for a freshman to produce at a level like that in a conference like the ACC. Boozer wound up taking home all sorts of national honors when all was said and done.
Then, after being drafted, he played through the Summer League finish line, where the Grizzlies almost took home the title in Las Vegas. Across eight total Summer League appearances in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, Boozer averaged 18.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from 3-point range.
Now, it's time for him to make it happen in real NBA action. Overall, the Grizzlies aren't facing very high expectations this coming season, but Boozer and company may be able to catch some teams by surprise. Veteran guard Ty Jerome even admitted earlier this offseason that the team is eyeing a playoff bid despite long odds.
With one month left before Memphis opens its season, fans can start counting the days.
