Who could have suspected Cameron Boozer -- Mr. Fundamental of the 2026 NBA Draft class -- would suddenly become the hottest name among the pool's top-four prospects?

For months, the four best players of this draft fell in the general order of AJ Dybantsa from BYU, Darryn Peterson out of Kansas, closely followed by Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson representing either end of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, respectively.

But buzz is building around the son of a Utah Jazz legend and college basketball's National Player of the Year, Cameron Boozer, and it's all arriving seemingly from nowhere.

According to Forty Eight Minutes, Cameron Boozer is firmly in the running for the Utah Jazz with the second overall selection.

Another report from Forty Eight Minutes took the hysteria one step further, declaring that their intel suggests the number-one pick will come down to one of Dybantsa and Boozer, not Peterson.

That should be music to Jazz fans' ears, many of whom would prefer to see Utah come away with the electric combo guard, or at least have the option of taking their home-grown superstar out of BYU. Should the Wizards pull a magic trick and Boozer is pulled out of Adam Silver's hat, Utah would be staring down its dream scenario.

But why is Boozer taking such a sudden leap? Is there more to his game than meets the eye?

From a fit perspective, Boozer makes no positional sense with the Utah Jazz's current roster, which is loaded with All-Star veterans in the front court. Boozer wouldn't penetrate the Jazz's wall of 7-footers -- Markkanen, Jackson Jr., and Kessler -- in the starting lineup, and his slower foot speed makes him an iffy fit to fill the opening at shooting guard.

Heck, AJ Dybantsa is a bit of a stretch at the 2 himself, but Boozer is out of the question. Presuming Washington doesn't pick Peterson at the top, Kansas' guard is the clear pick. 

Boozer's fit becomes even stranger when theoretically planted in Washington's roster. After trading for Anthony Davis at the deadline, the Wizards pulled in a pair of veterans to push towards a winning future in the wide-open Eastern Conference. Drafting Boozer first overall means one of two things: the Wizards don't view Davis as a foundational pillar on their roster, or they believe that Boozer fits effortlessly alongside the Davis-Sarr front line.

Unless Washington or Utah views Boozer as the best player in the entire draft -- contrary to the general sentiment across the league -- there's no reason to pick him up and build around his selection with pre-installed rosters and a clear direction in the '26-'27 season.

Cameron Boozer is an appealing prospect for many, many reasons. An excellent shooter with fantastic size and strength for his age, Boozer projects to be a day-one producer no matter his landing spot. He's likewise and underrated playmaker and defender, and managed to dominate at the college level despite possessing average athleticism.

Boozer may be the safest pick in the draft pool, but he doesn't project to have a ceiling nearly as high as Peterson or Dybantsa. Maybe this buzz is pre-draft posturing to get a team like Memphis or Chicago to trade up for a player they badly want, but when compared to the likes of his competition, the Duke star's apparent rise feels like a smoke screen.

Don't dig for the deep cut when playing the hits will deliver better results.