The 2027 Rookie of the Year conversation may already have a surprise name sitting at the front of the line: Cameron Boozer.
Even with AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson drawing most of the buzz, one NBA executive told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that the third overall pick has the kind of profile that can carry him straight to the award.
“Boozer is a winner, and he’s won things his entire young life,” the executive told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “Memphis isn’t going to have a good year, but he’s going to be the bright spot, and he’s going to win the award.”
That’s the twist with Rookie of the Year. Unlike MVP or Defensive Player of the Year, there isn’t one clean formula for deciding it.
Sometimes the honor goes to the rookie piling up the biggest numbers. Sometimes it goes to the player who blows past expectations.
More often than not, though, the trophy ends up in the hands of a No. 1 pick, with Cooper Flagg, Victor Wembanyama, and Paolo Banchero among the recent examples.
Dybantsa could have a harder path. He’ll be joining a Wizards team that already has veterans like Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and unless he clearly outplays them, getting the kind of minutes and stat line that usually wins Rookie of the Year could be a challenge. That opens the door for Boozer to grab the spotlight.
At Duke, the 6’9″ forward put together a dominant season before becoming the No. 3 pick. He played 38 games and averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 55.6% from the field. Duke went 35-3 before falling in the East Regional Final.
Boozer has been praised for how polished and mature his game already looks, and he has the chance to become the face of Grizzlies basketball if his development keeps moving forward. Even right now, he brings immediate value with three-level scoring, strong court vision, and dependable floor spacing.
The bigger issue may be the team around him. After major trades involving Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis is expected to be near the bottom of the league, possibly even worse than other teams in full tank mode. That usually doesn’t kill a Rookie of the Year case, but it could matter if the Jazz and Wizards finish higher in the standings.
Still, the Grizzlies may have enough around Boozer, Jerami Grant, and Zach Edey to avoid being completely buried. However it plays out, the 2027 award race will sort itself out in time.
For Boozer, though, the focus isn’t on individual hardware. His job is to help Memphis win however he can and bring it every night.
Everything else, as the story goes, is a bonus.
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