Jaylen Wells didn’t leave much room for doubt when he talked about Cam Boozer’s ceiling in Memphis.
Asked by Mark Haynes whether he believed Boozer could go on to win Rookie of the Year, Wells gave a blunt endorsement of the rookie’s upside.
“Yeah, yeah, I think he’s a superstar; he can do it all. For his size and how young he is, it’s amazing to see what he can do on the floor, and I’m excited to play with him.” - Jaylen Wells
That kind of praise carries extra weight coming from Wells, who already has some credibility as a young piece in the Grizzlies’ plans. He turned in a strong rookie year and finished on the All-Rookie First-Team after being taken 39th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. Even with some inconsistency in his second season, he remains positioned as a player Memphis can lean on as the rebuild takes shape.
Wells has spent time around a growing group of young talent in Memphis, including Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and GG Jackson II. But Boozer is the name drawing the biggest buzz, and for good reason. Selected third overall, he looked the part in Summer League and already appears ready to make noise in the 2026 rookie class.
There are other highly regarded prospects in that class, including AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, and Darryn Peterson, but Boozer is the one who seems to have Memphis dreaming big. The Grizzlies already have promising building blocks in Coward and Edey, and adding Boozer to that mix gives the roster a young core that stands out around the league.
If Boozer lives up to Wells’ confidence right away, Memphis could move through this rebuild much faster than expected. There’s still work to do on the roster, and Tuomas Iisalo will need to keep adjusting as the coach, but the Grizzlies have put themselves in a strong position for the first year of this reset.
For now, the message is clear: Wells believes Boozer can be the real thing, and Memphis has every reason to be encouraged by that.
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The Trade That Changed Grizzlies History Forever
The Grizzlies 2008 trade of Pau Gasol to the Lakers still stands as one of the most consequential moves in franchise history, not just because it sent away a star, but because it altered the direction of Memphis basketball for years to come. In return, the team brought back a package of players, draft picks and the draft rights to Marc Gasol, a little-known piece of the deal at the time that would end up mattering far more than anyone could have expected.
Most of the other pieces Memphis received did not leave a lasting imprint, but Marc Gasol grew into a cornerstone for the franchise and eventually one of its defining leaders. Pau Gasol, meanwhile, went on to play a major role in the Lakers championship runs, giving the trade a rare kind of symmetry: a deal that shaped both sides, even if its long-term value in Memphis came from the player nobody was talking about first. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Schedule Includes 3 Games Fans Will Take Personally
The NBAs latest schedule drop gave Memphis fans a few dates to circle, and not just because the Grizzlies will be in the national spotlight. Opening Week, Christmas Day and the NBA Cup all delivered matchups with extra edge, from a meeting with Washington that could feature top 2026 NBA Draft names AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer to a familiar face on the opposing sideline. For a team that has spent the past few years building around a hard-nosed identity and a loud home floor, these are the kind of games that tend to carry a little more noise than usual.
One of the biggest draws on the slate is a home game that brings back a franchise centerpiece in a new uniform, the sort of night that instantly changes the mood inside the building. Another date sends former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins back to Memphis as the opponent, adding another layer to a schedule already loaded with intrigue. The league may have just been releasing calendars, but for Memphis, it also handed fans a few reminders that not every marquee matchup comes with a conference rival attached. [Read more 🡒]