The Grizzlies are still very early into a new rebuild; however, they are coming off a franchise-altering offseason. On top of many moves to retool the frontcourt, the Grizzlies selected Cam Boozer third overall out of Duke in what could potentially evolve into a legendary draft class, and longtime franchise star Ja Morant was traded just days later.
It wasn't too long ago that the Grizzlies found themselves as the two-seed in the Western Conference in early 2025. But fast forward to today, the core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. have all departed Memphis, and the Grizzlies are set to begin their first full season without all three players.
But fast forward to today, the core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. have all departed Memphis, and the Grizzlies are set to begin their first full season without all three players. Understandably, given how sudden and even backbreaking the end of the Next Gen Era was, it's fair to question how far the next era of Grizzlies basketball will go.
But, to make the case for optimism, the Grizzlies find themselves in an extremely favorable position to begin a rebuild. Before this offseason, the Grizzlies already had multiple promising pieces on the roster, such as Cedric Coward and Zach Edey, while also possessing significant draft capital over the next seven seasons.
On a surface level, that already sounds like a pretty promising situation for a rebuilding team, right? But if there is a piece that can really make the Grizzlies take off much sooner than people expect, look no further than Cam Boozer. Plus, to make matters even better, many outside of Memphis are starting to realize how capable Boozer is of making an immediate impact.
The NBA GM Survey could be great news for Cam Boozer as a rookie
In the 2026-27 NBA GM Survey, it was going to be intriguing to see who would get the most Rookie of the Year predictions given how stacked the 2026 NBA draft already looks. Grizzlies fans can be excited about the fact that Cam Boozer received the most votes with an overwhelming 50%.
The next closest vote getter was Caleb Wilson with 20%, while AJ Dybantsa received 17% and Darryn Peterson received 13%. While I've continuously mentioned how unfair it is that Cam Boozer's upside gets downplayed, I was a bit surprised to see how wide the vote was.
However, when considering Boozer's skillset and situation, it's easy to see why he could run away with the award. Compared to other top picks, Cam Boozer should be able to have the highest usage rate, which is great news for the Grizzlies.
Cam Boozer brings a winning skillset from Day 1
Cam Boozer's playmaking is extremely high-level for his age, and based on his latest performances, concerns about his athleticism in the pre-draft process already look overblown. Boozer has also made significant progress on his shooting release since college, and he is able to score well off the dribble as well.
It will be interesting to see how Boozer fares on the defensive end as a rookie, but the good news for him is how well he moves for his size and the fact that he wasn't afraid to take on tough defensive assignments in Jalen Johnson and Paolo Banchero this preseason. Given his strong basketball IQ already, a defensive leap as a rookie and throughout his career should not be counted out.
Regardless of what the box scores look like, Boozer has already shown his ability to make winning basketball plays. Whether it's his playmaking, his ability to set screens, or being a tenacious rebounder, Boozer is able to impact the game in many ways beyond just scoring. Plus, with his importance to Tuomas Iisalo's offense, Cam Boozer should be able to stuff the stat sheet anyways.
Similar to how I've raved about the winning impact Zach Edey brought in his 11 games last season, I believe Cam Boozer is capable of having a similar impact alongside Edey, even as a rookie. While the past 18 months have seen drastic changes to the roster, Cam Boozer is the perfect piece to speed up the Grizzlies' return to winning ways, even as a rookie.
Time will tell how well the 2026 NBA Draft class develops, but Cam Boozer should make an immediate impact as a rookie in Memphis.
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