The Memphis Grizzlies hold the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Here's why Cameron Boozer is the prospect they should want most over Peterson and Wilson.
There's some debate around the 2026 NBA Draft. Is this a three-man draft, or are there four blue-chip prospects?
It depends on who you ask and where they stand on Caleb Wilson. It's been suggested that some draft analysts prefer Wilson to Cameron Boozer and/or Darryn Peterson. Still, spend enough time Googling mock drafts, and you'll find that the top three look to be more or less crystalized.
That's particularly true for AJ Dybantsa at number one. So, we'll rule him out of this thought exercise. The Memphis Grizzlies have the third pick. Barring a trade, that means they'll likely be choosing between some two-man combination of Boozer, Peterson, and Wilson.
Who should they want?
Grizzlies will have intriguing options with the third pick
Let's start with a caveat: Peterson will likely be off the board as well. It seems most likely that Memphis will choose between Boozer and Wilson.
Still, for argument's sake, let's entertain the possibility that the Jazz grab Boozer with the second pick. The Grizzlies would be likely to pick Peterson in that case.
That wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Peterson averaged 20.2 points with a 57.8% True Shooting % (TS%) for Kansas this year. This is perhaps the best pure scoring guard to come into the league since Anthony Edwards. At 6'5", Peterson is the type of tall guard who's become increasingly fashionable in the NBA.
That said, he's not precisely the perfect modern archetype, either. Peterson's 1.6 assists per game are a real concern. Sure, it could be argued that he needed to focus on scoring on a Kansas team that was light on offensive firepower. Still, it would be fair to say that Peterson didn't flash much potential as a primary playmaker.
Speaking of modern archetypes, Caleb Wilson is exactly the type of wing teams covet in 2026.
At 6'10" and 215 pounds, Wilson is agile enough to guard across multiple positions. He's also a solid open-floor ball handler for his position who will score plenty in transition. Wilson may not be a primary offensive option, but he can be a perennial All-Defensive Team player who functions as a second or third offensive option.
Finally, there's Boozer. Perhaps there's no reason to go into elaborate detail about his game. He's overwhelmingly likely to be the Grizzlies' choice anyway:
As it happens, he's the player they should want most.
Grizzlies likely to land best option in draft
Disregard team fit. It doesn't matter for a team in the Grizzlies' position. They need a top-end talent above all else. Memphis should covet a player they can tailor their offensive system to.
That would be Boozer. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game for Duke this year. Boozer is a combo big who doubles as a playmaking hub.
This is not to say he'll be the best player in the draft. The point is more so that of these four prospects, Boozer seems like the best playmaker, and Memphis needs a primary playmaker. Dybantsa, Peterson, and Wilson are all likely to thrive as either primary scorers or defensive anchors, but only Boozer projects as a guy who's going to maximize his teammates.
He's a blue-chip prospect, No matter how you feel about his draft peers.