The slam-dunk case for Jazz taking Cameron Boozer No. 2 overall

The 2026 NBA Draft is looming and experts continue to Mock Draft what they think could be an unpredictable ride following the first three picks. The Utah Jazz are one of the teams holding a coveted spot at No. 2 overall this year, likely set on who they would take for quite some time now. However, new details have emerged that we could see a surprise candidate with Duke’s Cameron Boozer at the projected second pick.

BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is widely regarded at the consensus No. 1 overall pick to the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz have been clear in their desire to one day draft Dybantsa if they were to land the first pick. They’ll certainly take him if the Wizards decide to pass, but assuming he goes No. 1 the Jazz will have an important choice between Kansas PG Darryn Peterson and Duke PF Cameron Boozer.

ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reports that the consensus around the NBA is that Utah will be pleased with landing Darryn Peterson at No. 2 thanks to his strong fit with their roster and ability to immediately become a playmaking threat. However, there’s no denying the connection between Carlos Boozer as a player evaluator for the Jazz and his history playing for the organization.

Recent details also emerged that the Utah Jazz already brought in Cameron Boozer for pre-draft workout, 11 days before the NBA Draft and before AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson both appeared in front of the Jazz. While it may all just business-as-usual, could the Jazz potentially have a case for taking Boozer at No. 2?

Utah Jazz taking Cameron Boozer at No. 2

There’s a clear case for PG Darryn Peterson fitting into this current Utah Jazz roster alongside Keyonte George in the backcourt. George will be able to focus more of his efforts on scoring while Peterson would thrive creating off the dribble and working around screens. Furthermore, the Jazz have solidified their frontcourt with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler. 2024 draft pick Kyle Filipkowski and veteran addition Jusuf Nurkic round out an already crowded room.

Still, the Utah Jazz have built an identity with their heigh and ability to play around the rim, their shortest starter Keyonte George coming in at 6-foot-4. Sophomore Ace Bailey lists as a 6-foot-9 shooting guard, so there’s certainly room to add 6-foot-9 Boozer to an already talented roster. Furthermore, Boozer has shown a strong ability to play all positions and could be much more versatile opposite of Peterson and his ceiling with handling the ball.

Boozer is also very mature for a freshman and has been exposed to the pro level since he was a kid and his dad was playing in the NBA. The further involvement from Carlos Boozer in the front office and his role developing talent could also work to Cameron’s advantage as he’ll have the best available resources. At this point, they’d be hoping for a greater potential ceiling from Boozer with room to grow as opposed to making Darryn Peterson their key point guard right away.

Boozer averaged 22.5 PPG and 10.2 RPG during his freshman season at Duke, but it was even more impressive to see him average 1.4 steals per game, 0.6 blocks, and average 78.1% from the free-throw line. He’s got all the fundamentals locked in and could stand to make an immediate impact with his length on the defensive floor.

While Darryn Peterson remains as the most likely pick to go No. 2 overall, Cameron Boozer could be a slam dunk for Utah if they’re willing to take a chance on him. He’ll have all the tools for development at his disposal and could potentially have the most versatile upside out of any player in this draft.

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