Cameron Boozer is one of, and should be, the top prospects in the upcoming NBA Draft, joined by Kansas's Darryn Peterson, BYU's AJ Dybantsa, and UNC's Caleb Wilson (if he can heal quickly).
Recently, as NBA teams start to increase their focus on who they want to draft, the league is trying to preserve what's left of the season and prevent the teams that are struggling the most from tanking for a lottery pick.
The NBA released a statement that it had already fined two teams for the "management of their rosters in recent games," saying that "overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition."
NBA fines Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for tanking for Draft position
In the NBA, the lowest teams have a higher percentage of landing one of the lottery picks, with their franchise name being placed in the metaphorical hat more times than those teams that are flying toward the Playoffs.
There are 14 lottery picks in every NBA Draft, and there are only 30 teams in the league. So really, no matter how poorly or how well you do, you have nearly a 50 percent chance of snagging one of the lottery picks.
The league is worried about teams tanking for the current stars in college, like Boozer, Peterson, and more.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/0JFQpOnOmF
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 13, 2026
In ESPN's most recent mock Draft, Boozer found himself as the third overall pick, trailing Peterson and Dybantsa, but ahead of Wilson, Houston's Kingston Flemmings, and Illinois's Keaton Wagler.
On other mock Draft boards, Boozer has clocked in as the No. 1 overall pick, followed by the usual star freshmen suspects.
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is set for May 10, followed by the Draft Combine from May 10 through 17. The dates for the NBA Draft itself have yet to be announced, but it usually takes place toward the end of June.