One of the biggest takeaways from the Grizzlies trading Ja Morant is that it shows the organization's confidence in Cam Boozer to lead the franchise. While it is still too early to judge the trade in either direction, one thing is blatantly clear: Cam Boozer has an easier path to stardom in Memphis after the trade.
Seven years ago, the Grizzlies selected Ja Morant second overall and gave him the keys to the franchise right away. Fast forward to now, and Cam Boozer will follow the same path as a rookie now that Ja Morant has been traded. Even though it would've been interesting to see Morant play with a Cam Boozer and Zach Edey frontcourt, this situation could actually help Boozer plenty.
Cam Boozer was going to start from Day 1 anyway, but now he has a clear path to being able to initiate the offense more.
Boozer should get early opportunities to be an offensive hub
As shown at Duke, Cam Boozer can do so many things on the offensive side of the ball. Duke has had plenty of great prospects enter the league, such as Jayson Tatum and Cooper Flagg, but Boozer was certainly up there as one of the best offensive forces for the Blue Devils. Boozer can score in so many ways, whether it's in the post, pull-up shooting, or pick-and-roll, whether he is a ball-handler or roll man.
With how impressive Boozer's playmaking is along with his offensive versatility, he is simply a dream fit for Tuomas Iisalo. Even though Boozer is a special prospect, the immediate expectation shouldn't be for him to lead the Grizzlies to contention in Year 1.
However, Boozer should become a special offensive creator and see increased on-ball opportunities now that Morant has been traded. The Grizzlies' offense could end up surprising many people outside of Memphis with how well the guards fit alongside Cam Boozer thanks to their playmaking and three-point shooting.
Playing more through the frontcourt can be beneficial for the Grizzlies
Now, even though Karl-Anthony Towns and Cam Boozer are not a like-for-like comparison, there is something the Grizzlies should follow from the Knicks, especially considering how young Boozer is. Having a strong offensive hub in the frontcourt who can pass, dribble, and shoot at a high level can significantly raise the floor of the offense.
Something that the Grizzlies arguably failed to do last season was give rookie Cedric Coward enough on-ball creation reps, even in a tanking context. Despite Coward not being a frontcourt player, the Grizzlies should learn from that mistake with Cam Boozer and really invest in his development, just like the Knicks did with Karl-Anthony Towns, who is even more experienced.
We saw last season how much better the Grizzlies were in the games Zach Edey played thanks to his physicality and defensive leap. Add the fact that Boozer can become an elite offensive force, and the Grizzlies could have one of the best frontcourts in the entire NBA early on.
As talented as Ja Morant remains, trading him gives Cam Boozer an ideal situation to get as many on-ball creation reps as possible. Trading a fan favorite is never easy, but Cam Boozer could have a faster rise to stardom thanks to the trade.
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