The Memphis Grizzlies hold the third overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, giving them an opportunity to select a very good player and possibly select Cameron Boozer.
The Grizzlies have made a lot of the right decisions over the past few years, but they've also made a lot of the wrong ones as well. Unfortunately, the trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. just didn't work out. As a result, Bane and Jackson are no longer with Memphis.
There's also a lot of speculation that Morant might not be on the roster following this year. That could be viewed as a good thing for Boozer, and I wouldn't disagree with it, though I'd be interested to see him with an uber-athletic point guard like Morant, depending on how the Grizzlies star feels about staying with the organization.
From the sound of things, there's an expectation that Morant will be traded, and with some of the young talent the Grizzlies have, there's also a belief that Boozer can fit right into that.
“It was a year from hell for Memphis. Ja Morant couldn’t stay on the floor — sometimes due to injury, sometimes due to his own volition. Zach Edey got injured. After Desmond Bane got dealt, Jaren Jackson Jr. soon followed. And now, Memphis goes from teardown to rebirth. At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, Boozer is the most polished player in the class. He scores from the post with both footwork and power, hits 40% of his 3s on high volume, and has enough handle to run offense as a point forward.
“He shifts between those modes based on what the defense gives him, and that adaptability led to a 35-win season at Duke and the Naismith Player of the Year… With Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and the other young guys in Memphis — plus whatever pieces get dealt for Morant, who remains likely to get traded this summer — the Grizzlies now have one of the league’s best young cores. With the bloodline of two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer, the Grizzlies are betting that skill, adaptability, and a track record of winning at every level all lead to,” Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo wrote.
I'm really curious to see what Boozer ends up being in the NBA.
As O'Connor touched on, there's definitely a feeling that he can be a really good player, but he probably isn't as much of a lock as some other top prospects we've seen in previous years.