The Memphis Grizzlies hold the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and stand ready to select Duke forward Cameron Boozer. Ja Morant remains the clear target for a trade this offseason. His $42 million salary next season and $48 million the year after complicate any deal. Multiple teams have reached out about moving up for Boozer, the consensus No. 3 prospect across recent mocks.

Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as a Duke freshman while earning Naismith Player of the Year honors. He shot 39.1 percent from three and posted one of the highest efficiency marks among high-usage college players. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward measured a 7-foot-1.5 wingspan at the combine and projects as a 20-and-10 contributor from day one.

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Boozer pairs elite post footwork and pick-and-roll vision with the strength to bully smaller forwards and the touch to stretch defenses. He handles point-forward duties naturally, creating for teammates from the block or as a hub in half-court sets. That skill set meshes immediately with center Zach Edey, forming a frontcourt that should rank among the league's top rebounding units while giving Memphis a versatile offensive engine it has lacked.

The selection would accelerate the franchise's shift away from the Morant era under GM Zach Kleiman. Memphis finished 25-57 last season and has leaned into high-IQ, physical frontcourt play in past successful stretches. Boozer's non-flashy yet polished game aligns with the city's preferences and adds modern spacing that the old grind-it-out teams never possessed.

The draft runs June 23-24, leaving little time for the Grizzlies to finalize a Morant trade or explore packages that could move them up or down. If Utah takes Darryn Peterson at No. 2, Memphis locks in Boozer without debate. Any last-minute movement would likely involve teams desperate for the forward's combination of size, feel and production.

Boozer's floor as a high-IQ connector who wins with strength and efficiency makes him the safest path to a new franchise identity, even if his athleticism draws the loudest questions.