Cam Boozer hasn’t needed much time to make the Grizzlies feel good about taking him at No. 3.
In a 2026 NBA Draft class that could spark plenty of argument near the top, Boozer is already giving Memphis plenty to like. He may not be the flashiest name in the group, but his game looks built to help a team win, and that’s the kind of profile that tends to travel well once the lights get brighter.
The big thing here is age. Boozer was the youngest player chosen in the top four, which matters when people start talking about ceiling.
AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson all bring obvious upside, but it would be a mistake to rush into dismissing Boozer’s own long-term potential. He’s got the look of a complete offensive player, and there’s real room for him to keep growing.
Summer League always comes with a warning label. Young players can look great, and the numbers can still lie to you a little.
But even with that caution in mind, the early returns on Boozer have been hard to ignore. Everything so far points to a player who can matter right away for Memphis.
What stands out most is how quickly his offensive game appears ready to fit. Boozer has shown strong basketball IQ, and his playmaking is already better than you’d expect from a player at his position. His defense has also been a pleasant surprise, and it’s the kind of area that could keep improving as he settles in.
Across Utah and Las Vegas Summer League, Boozer has put up 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in four games. He’s done it efficiently too, hitting 55.1% from the field and 47% of his threes. Even those numbers, though, don’t quite capture how often he seems to tilt possessions in the Grizzlies’ favor.
He probably should have even more assists. More often than not, Memphis’ offense seems to hum when the ball is in his hands. His strength is already showing up in a big way for someone this young, and his active hands have made a difference on defense as well.
Cedric Coward has been one of the other useful players on the Summer League roster, but it’s still easy to get most excited about what Boozer could look like once he’s alongside Ty Jerome and Zach Edey. Memphis is still in the early stages of its rebuild, yet Boozer is making a strong case that he can help them win sooner rather than later.
For Grizzlies fans, the message is simple: the ride is worth enjoying, and Boozer looks like someone who could become a major part of what comes next in Memphis.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Face One Huge Cameron Boozer Question Against Undefeated Warriors
Memphis heads into its Las Vegas Summer League matchup with Golden State still sorting through the fallout from a loss to Dallas, a game in which Cameron Boozer flashed enough to keep the Grizzlies offense interesting even in defeat. The bigger issue now is the shape of the rotation around him, because this next test comes against a Warriors team that has already looked sharp in the desert and has the kind of momentum that can punish a short-handed roster.
Golden States surge has been driven in part by first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg, whose all-around play has given the Warriors a real edge early in the event. For Memphis, the matchup feels like a measuring stick as much as anything else, with the Grizzlies trying to keep pace against an unbeaten group while waiting on one of their most important young pieces to be available when the ball tips. [Read more 🡒]
Cameron Boozer Sounds Unfazed By The Concern Grizzlies Fans Already Feel
Cameron Boozers first Summer League look in a Grizzlies uniform came with the kind of shooting night that can make a fan base pause, even if only briefly. The youngest player Memphis selected in the 2026 NBA Draft struggled from deep against Dallas, but the larger takeaway was less about one rough box score and more about how quickly he brushed off the concern that comes with the NBAs longer three-point line.
Boozer pointed to his college track record at Duke and the basketball background that shaped him long before he reached the league, a reminder that Memphis is betting on a player who believes his shot will translate. He also acknowledged the Grizzlies overall struggles in the game and said the team has to make better plays, which leaves the bigger question hanging for now: how long it takes for the production to match the confidence. [Read more 🡒]
One Summer League Rookie Just Made Grizzlies Fans Take Notice
The Las Vegas Summer League has only just gotten rolling for the 2026 rookie class, but the first week already gave Memphis a fresh look at how much work still sits ahead for its young group. After the Salt Lake City Summer League and California Classic, the leagues newest players arrived in Nevada on July 9 and started turning those early pro reps into the kind of performances that can quickly change how a fan base talks about a draft class.
For Memphis, one of the more notable results came in a game that underscored how quickly these summer matchups can sharpen the conversation around a rookie. Several first-year players and undrafted free agents have already flashed across the events opening days with scoring, playmaking and activity on both ends, and the Grizzlies are now left sorting through which of those early impressions might carry into the rest of the summer. [Read more 🡒]