With the NBA Draft just about to get rolling, Duke superstar Cameron Boozer, the National Player of the Year in college basketball, isn't going to be the No. 1 overall pick. The Washington Wizards are expected to pick either AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson, with Dybantsa being the most likely choice.
Boozer appears destined to land with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The narrative throughout the pre-draft process has been that Dybantsa and Peterson were a clear one and two, and then Boozer was sitting in third due to the perception that the BYU and Kansas stars have a higher upside.
Boozer clearly disagrees.
In an interview on ESPN ahead of the draft, Boozer made his feelings clear about where he stands, while delivering a stark warning to NBA teams. Kendrick Perkins asked Boozer if he feels he should be the No. 1 pick:
"Of course I feel that way," Boozer responded. "I'm not gonna say I understand why people say that. Those two guys are amazing players; everyone knows that. But I mean, for me, not being in that conversation, I don't really understand it. I think, many years down the line, people are going to look back and say that I should've been."
Cameron Boozer confidently states his claim as the best player in the 2026 NBA Draft
People have spent far too much time in the pre-draft process overthinking things on Boozer.
Is he athletic enough? Does he have enough upside? Does he rely on bully ball too much? Can he defend his position at the next level?
Those have predominantly been the things people have questioned about Boozer leading up to tonight's draft. They have spent far too much time focusing on hypotheticals rather than focusing on just how dominant he was for Duke as a true freshman.
Boozer was the best player in college basketball last year despite being one of the youngest players in the country.
There's no safer bet in this class than Boozer. He's a sure-fire All-Star at the NBA level. Some may question whether he can be the best player on a championship team. We aren't among them. He can 100% be the catalyst for a title team.
Boozer is a unique talent. He's got an elite mind to go along with his all-around skill. He can play point-forward; he can play small-ball five. He can do anything you need him to on the court.
The team that drafts him, most likely the Memphis Grizzlies, is going to be thrilled that they did.
Per a confident statement Boozer made a few weeks ago, that team is going to hang banners.
Add us as a preferred source on Google