As Cameron Boozer continues his early hot start to his freshman season, the second-generation Duke Blue Devil is continuing to be recognized by draft experts. On Tuesday, ESPN released its first official 2026 NBA mock draft, which saw Boozer land in the very same place where his father became a star, going third overall to the Utah Jazz.
Carlos Boozer, father of Cameron, began his NBA career in Cleveland with the Cavaliers after being drafted with the 35th overall pick. After establishing himself as one of the clearly overlooked players in his draft class, Boozer found himself signing with the Utah Jazz ahead of his third season. It was there that his career took the next step.
Boozer would go on to make two All-Star teams and one All-NBA third team, averaging 19.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in his six seasons with the Jazz.
Cameron’s fit in Utah is a bit less apparent in the short term, but evident in the long term. Currently, he would be blocked to some degree by the presence of sharpshooter Lauri Markkanen. However, it appears the Jazz are destined to trade the Finnish forward at some point. In that case, Boozer could slide comfortably alongside recent No. 5 overall pick Ace Bailey and give the Jazz a dynamic forward tandem for years to come.
ESPN’s NBA Draft analyst and writer, Jeremy Woo, acknowledged exactly that, while also having high general praise for Boozer, despite projecting him below Peterson and Dybantsa.
“He’s a polished all-around player who contributes to winning beyond purely scoring, which should help mitigate the fact that he’s not as vertically explosive. His outstanding track record will earn him some benefit of the doubt as he settles in to college, and his prolific production will keep him in the conversation with Peterson and Dybantsa atop the draft.”
Later, on the same day that Woo released his mock draft, Boozer led the Blue Devils to victory over the Jayhawks, albeit without Peterson suiting up for Kansas. The projected third overall pick finished the game with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, once again showcasing his versatility.
Boozer is now averaging 21.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while also proving to be an efficient offensive player, shooting 51.5 percent from the field and averaging just 1.2 turnovers per game. Defensively, he’s a key part of one of the nation’s most impressive defenses, which sits just outside the top 10 in points allowed per game.
Five games into his collegiate career, Cameron Boozer has clearly established himself as one of the premier talents in the nation, and so far, unquestionably a top 3 pick in the upcoming draft, if not higher.