It appears that Cameron Boozer's NBA Draft outlook is down to two teams.
The consensus in league circles is that Boozer won't be a factor at No. 1. The Washington Wizards appear to be deciding between BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson. What the Wizards ultimately decide to do could impact Boozer's landing spot.
While the Memphis Grizzlies have always been the most likely landing spot for the Duke superstar since the draft lottery, there has been significant smoke connecting Boozer to the Utah Jazz in recent weeks.
If the Wizards take Peterson over Dybantsa, Boozer seems to be locked in at No. 3 to Memphis. If Dybantsa is the pick at No. 1, which has long been assumed, then Utah will have a decision between Peterson and Boozer.
The Grizzlies will have the easiest pick of the top three, happy to take whichever of the top three prospects slips to them at No. 3. Per ESPN's Jeremy Woo, who projected Boozer to the Grizzlies in his mock draft on Monday, just one day before the NBA Draft, the Grizzlies would be thrilled to wind up with Boozer.
The 'analytically driven' Memphis Grizzlies front office appears infatuated with Cameron Boozer
One of the biggest reasons that some have pounded the drum for Boozer as the potential No. 1 pick to the Wizards is because he stands head and shoulders above the rest of the draft class when you look at analytics. With more and more front offices relying on that as the driving force in their decision-making, Boozer can't be discounted at the top of the draft.
That's what makes his fit with the Grizzlies so compelling.
Per Woo:
"There is a similar level of confidence around the league in the Grizzlies' interest in Boozer, with Memphis one of the most analytically driven front offices and the historically productive Duke star sitting atop draft models."
If the Grizzlies ultimately land on Boozer, the Memphis frontcourt of the future will be solidified. Boozer would slot in perfectly next to Grizzlies center Zach Edey, giving the franchise the foundation upon which to build a post-Ja Morant world. Most experts believe the Grizzlies will move Morant this offseason to turn the page on a new chapter for the franchise.
Boozer would be a cornerstone of that future.
There would be no "fit" concerns in Memphis as there could be in Utah with the Jazz's crowded frontcourt. The Grizzlies have always seemed like a great fit for Boozer, and he's the type of player who could help bring back the "grit and grind" roots that energized the city of Memphis during the 2010s.
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