As the early picture of the 2026 NBA Draft is here, one name continues to separate himself from the rest of the class, and that’s none other than Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, who has been the best freshman in America this year.
From the moment he arrived at Duke, Boozer has looked the part of a future franchise cornerstone. His production has been insane, and his ability to stay consistent is truly something we haven’t seen at the college level. While the draft cycle is in earlier stages, Boozer should definitely be a top-three pick.
SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell believes the same and recently projected Boozer to be selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2026 NBA Draft. While I like Boozer a lot as a player, I think it’d be shocking to see him go No. 1.
“You don’t draft for fit with the No. 1 overall pick. Boozer is the best prospect in this year’s draft, and in my opinion one of the strongest NBA prospects of the last decade. If the fit is a little wonky with Pascal Siakam right now, who cares: Boozer was born in July 2007 and Siakam was born in April 1994, meaning they aren’t exactly on the same timeline. Boozer will probably be a full-time four eventually, but he’s versatile enough to play the three early in his career while Indiana figures out what it needs around him and Tyrese Haliburton long-term. His intersection of brains, brawn, and skill is so enticing that it eclipses any concerns about his athletic explosiveness or fluidity.
“Boozer is massively productive and he’s been driving winning at an elite level dating back to high school. He’s an excellent shooter, passer, and driver for his size, and he knows how to make plays defensively even without quick-twitch movement ability. With Boozer and Haliburton, the Pacers could run the East for a long, long time,” he wrote.
It isn’t that Boozer hasn’t been deserving of going 1/1, as he has, but we have to factor in the early hype for other players. Imagine being an NBA GM and not selecting Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa and they become the stars that everyone expects them to be? Not that Boozer can’t be that, but there’s a lot more risk in taking him.