The Memphis Grizzlies drafted Duke national player of the year Cameron Boozer with the third pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday.— ESPN (@espn) June 24, 2026The 6-9, 253-pound forward averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game at 56/39/79 shooting splits in 2025-26. He joins Zach Edey as the second former national player of the year on the Grizzlies.Boozer led the Blue Devils to a 35-3 record, the ACC regular season and tournament championship, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and an Elite Eight appearance. He is the son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.This is the first major addition for Memphis since the team transitioned into a rebuild, shopping former All-NBA point guard Ja Morant and trading former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. Boozer will join 2025 11th overall pick Cedric Coward and Edey, who was drafted ninth overall in 2024, as the foundation of the new look Grizzlies.The 18-year-old is Memphis' highest draft pick since Morant was selected second overall in 2019. This is the team's first time selecting 3rd overall since it drafted Shareef Abdur-Rahim in 1996, and it's its 12th time picking in the top five. Boozer profiles as an offensive hub at the four. He has strong playmaking feel for his size — at times operating as a pick-and-roll ball handler for Duke — and is polished and fundamentally sound as a scorer. He gets the most out of his size and strength close to the basket, out to the 10-12 foot range, and shoots the three well, though most of his attempts come off the catch.— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) June 23, 2026At the very least, Boozer will be a secondary connector and a menace on the offensive glass right away, and that is being conservative. He has a very real chance to immediately become the engine of the Grizzlies' offense. Memphis' new frontcourt of Boozer, Edey, and Coward could propel the Grizzlies to elite status in the rebounding department.Defensively, Boozer is not an exceptional on-ball defender or rim protector and lacks the versatility to switch across multiple positions. His defensive impact will come as a help defender with good hands, quick processing, and staying one step ahead mentally.After a fortunate NBA Draft Lottery result, the Grizzlies have their potential new face of the franchise. While Boozer might not be the flashiest on or off the court, that is probably the best thing for the Grizzlies. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow