We're two days away from the 2026 NBA Draft, and while the talk around the No. 1 pick has mainly been between BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson, Duke's Cameron Boozer could still be a wildcard for the pick.
Duke fans don't have to think back far to remember a similar scenario. The consensus for most of the process in the lead-up to the 2022 NBA Draft was that Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. would be the No. 1 pick by the Orlando Magic, with Chet Holmgren going No. 2, and then Duke's Paolo Banchero going third to the Houston Rockets.
That all turned out to be a smokescreen, and the Magic ultimately took Banchero with the No. 1 pick.
It feels likely, however, that Peterson or Dybantsa will be the first pick, and the draft starts for Boozer at No. 2 with the Utah Jazz, who have reportedly struggled with the decision of whether to take Boozer or Peterson, assuming Dybantsa goes No. 1.
While teams and draftniks alike are obsessed with upside, there's one quality for Boozer that stands out above everyone else and makes it hard to pass on him.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic pointed it out in his Boozer draft profile.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie calls Cameron Boozer a 'cant-fail' prospect
"I think he’s pretty close to a can’t-fail offensive prospect," Vecenie writes.
Vecenie doubts that Boozer is of the same basketball mind and processing ability as Nikola Jokic, and to be fair, he's a few inches shorter than the three-time MVP, but he does compare him to a supercharged Alperen Sengun, who is a two-time All-Star with the Houston Rockets.
Jokic is the prospect I keep coming back to. He may not be that good, but Jokic's ability to dominate the NBA as he has despite not being the most athletic player in the league - or even anywhere close - should be enough to stop the ridiculous narrative of Boozer struggling in the NBA because of it.
"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," Vecenie continued.
Boozer is a can't-miss prospect. He also has significant upside. Whether you think that upside is the same as Dybantsa, Peterson, or perhaps even UNC's Caleb Wilson is up to you to decide. But there's bust potential in that trio that isn't present for Boozer.
The worst case for those three is significantly worse than that of Boozer, whose worst-case is probably an All-Star caliber player who will play a significant role on championship-level teams.
Upside grows on trees.
Can't-miss prospects do not.
Add us as a preferred source on Google