Optim Analyse

Memphis Grizzlies select Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

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The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The Memphis Grizzlies selected Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 pick on Tuesday in the NBA Draft.

Boozer was the most productive player in his age group and arguably the most productive freshman in college basketball history. At Duke, Boozer shot 55.6 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from 3 and 78.9 percent from the line. Per Sports-Reference, Boozer became the first player (regardless of class) to average 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while shooting 55 percent from the field and playing at least 20 games.

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Because he’s so strong and balanced, he can anchor to his position and carve out space on the interior, then elevate to get the ball. He has consistently led just about every league he’s ever played in as a rebounder. He measured a 7-foot-1.5 wingspan at the combine, standing 6 feet 8.25 inches without shoes. As a four, he has enough size. But if and when he has to transition to the five in certain lineups, he will be well below average, and it’ll be a serious issue on defense.

Sam Vecenie’s draft guide summary

Why Cameron Boozer produces and wins at every level
Sam Vecenie
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Boozer is one of the most statistically dominant players we’ve seen enter the NBA in a long time. He’s won at every single level and dominated with his play. He is multiskilled and incredibly versatile, which makes him exceptionally difficult to game plan for. As a scorer, he can beat you in ball screens both as a ballhandler and screener. He can beat you as a floor-spacing shooter. He can attack closeouts or he can post you up and score that way through his physicality. He has a brilliant basketball mind, passes incredibly well and understands how to put his teams into positive positions. I think he’s pretty close to a can’t-fail offensive prospect. I don’t see him as a Nikola Jokić-level processor of the game, and his lack of size compared to the Serbian star is an issue. However, I think the odds are that he’s above the level of Alperen Şengün, who has made two All-Star Games and been remarkably productive in the NBA.

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The only reason I didn’t have Boozer at No. 1 is that I think his skills play better as a No. 2 type of star in the NBA. The odds are somewhat high that teams will take advantage of Boozer defensively, even though he’s a sharp decision-maker and processor with good hands. Additionally, I worry about him creating advantages in the NBA versus simply being one of the best players at taking advantage of situations created for him. Still, I don’t see a world in which Boozer isn’t at least an excellent starter with significant All-Star upside, unless the defense really becomes a problem if his body fills out even more. I’d bet a lot on his versatility making him a multi-time All-NBA player in terms of his production.

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Overall 2 Forward 1

Cameron Boozer Duke

Versatile, skilled forward with a brilliant offensive mind; needs to find a role on defense.

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Photo of Cameron Boozer Duke

John Hollinger’s analysis

Similar to Cooper Flagg a year earlier, Boozer both destroyed college basketball and, at 18 years old, is the youngest college prospect in the draft.

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Yes, some weaknesses jump out when you watch Boozer. He struggles to elevate and finish against length around the rim, something that stood out when Virginia’s Ugonna Onyenso repeatedly blocked his shot in the ACC championship game. Yes, Boozer’s ability as a rim protector is suspect, to say the least, with a minuscule 0.9 percent block rate in conference games. Finally, at 6 feet 9 and 250 pounds, he’s undersized for a center but may not have the mobility to play power forward.

Boozer was basically “college basketball Nikola Jokić” last season. He’s a huge, wide big man who nonetheless can handle on the perimeter and shoot 3s (39.1 percent from distance, 78.9 percent from the line). Duke ran inverted pick-and-rolls for him last season, where he was picking out 3-point shooters on the weak side and flicking one-handed crosscourt passes. As a rule, teenage centers do not do this, and when they do, they turn out to be pretty special.

Don’t worry about the defense, because the offense is going to be ridiculous. Pairing him with a mobile shot-blocker will be important, but Boozer’s resume is overwhelming.

David Aldridge’s draft confidential

College head coach No. 1 (his team played Duke): All Booz has ever done is won. When we played them, watching him on tape, getting ready for them, when we played them, he played just an OK game against us. The thing that was most impressive to me, though, watching him live and watching on tape, was just how he carried himself, his demeanor. He reminded me, in that way, and this may sound crazy, of Tim Duncan. Tim was just even-keeled all the time, whether he did something exceptional, or if he screwed up. Booz had some wild plays this year. It was almost like, this is what I’m supposed to do. He’s so steady. He’s so versatile. There’s more that he can do. He can shoot; he’s 40 percent from 3. And that’s going to continue to get better.

Eastern Conference scout No. 1: The thing he showed this year that I hadn’t really seen before was passing. He showed he really could pass the ball this year. His 3-point shot can make him look really good. I saw a lot of summers where he didn’t make 3s, and his shot, I don’t know what his percentage was, I know I wrote reports where it was very poor, just going from high school to the international 3-point line. It seemed like it was much better this year. Sometimes it seems he shoots a moon shot, and it has very little chance of going in. If he can knock those down where he’s 35 percent or better from 3 in the NBA, he’s going to be a really, really good player. He’s a winning player. I think he got his (basketball IQ) from his dad. His dad was really good in the post. He wasn’t asked to do a lot of that (processing) stuff.

This story will be updated.

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