Where you land matters. When it comes to former Duke Blue Devils star Cameron Boozer, he is almost certainly going inside the top five of the 2026 NBA Draft. While the chances of him going No. 1 overall are rather minuscule, he could go as high as No. 2 to the Utah Jazz. That is precisely where FanSided.com's Christopher Kline has Boozer going in his latest, unique spin on an NBA mock draft.
This "botch job" NBA mock draft has every team taking a player it otherwise should not. With former BYU star AJ Dybantsa already off the board to the Washington Wizards at No. 1, the Jazz "pass" on mercurial former Kansas standout Darryn Peterson at No. 2 to take Boozer. While Kline does have Boozer as the No. 1 prospect on his big board, it would be a front-court logjam to have Boozer in SLC.
Kline wrote about how Utah already has Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. under big contracts.
"The Jazz already have Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. locked up on massive contracts, with a Walker Kessler extension (hopefully) coming down the pipeline," Kline wrote. "Too many good players at a position is not a problem, but Peterson is a far cleaner 'fit' for this roster as it's currently constructed. Does Boozer get buried on the bench as a rookie, a la Dylan Harper?"
This blurb essentially says why Utah may not be the best fit for Boozer. He has been tied to the Jazz to some degree throughout the NBA Draft process. Conventional wisdom suggests Peterson will go No. 1 to Washington, and Dybantsa will not make it past Utah picking at No. 2. This would then allow for Boozer to go to the Memphis Grizzlies picking at No. 3. Of course, this was only a "botch job" draft.
If logic prevails, Boozer could go to the best team for him, which is arguably Memphis picking at No. 3.
The Utah Jazz have too many bigs for Cameron Boozer to find his space
With Utah having Markkanen and Jackson on sizable deals, as well as potentially needing to extend Walker Kessler in short order, the Jazz might be too heavy in the front court for Boozer to find his space. The good news is his basketball savvy is off the charts. He is an adept player beyond the arc. His passing and team-first play will find a way to work in any situation. Others are easier than Utah's.
Right now, it is a challenge to see Dybantsa falling any further in the draft than No. 2 to the Jazz. He starred in-state for BYU. With Peterson only being accommodating to Washington throughout the draft process, what if the Wizards pass on him? That would open up the idea of Utah actually taking Boozer. Again, he can make it work here, but Boozer has arguably more room to grow with Memphis.
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Ultimately, Boozer projects to be one of those special players who will seemingly blossom in any environment. His floor coming out of Duke is insanely high. Barring injury, he is not going to bust. However, not all teams are created equally. Some will put him into advantageous situations to grow and develop more readily than others. Utah is a fine spot, but the Jazz built itself without him in mind.
While Utah may like to have a player of Boozer's caliber, Memphis needs one of his ilk for its rebuild.
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