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Assessing roster fit for three Grizzlies options with the No. 3 pick

The Memphis Grizzlies' options are seemingly down to three players: Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson.
Landon Speck|
Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) shoots as Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) and guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) and guard Darryn Peterson (22) defend in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) shoots as Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) and guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) and guard Darryn Peterson (22) defend in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are guaranteed to get one of the best NBA Draft prospects in the last decade with the No. 3 overall pick on June 23.

The question is, will it be Duke F Cameron Boozer, Kansas G Darryn Peterson, or North Carolina F Caleb Wilson? Boozer is still the most popular choice in mock drafts, but he could go in the top two. There is also a world where the Grizzlies prefer Wilson over Boozer or Peterson, if the choice is between Wilson and one of the other two.

Either way, Memphis will come away thrilled with its new face of the franchise. All three prospects are ideal fits on any team — they are all really good at basketball — but they all possess different skillsets. Here is how each of them would fit on the Grizzlies' roster. This analysis is done under the assumption that Ja Morant will eventually be traded.

Cameron Boozer: A unicornish offensive hub

Calling Boozer a unicorn might sound strange, because there have been plenty of 6-9, 250-pound power forwards in the NBA. There have even been plenty of 6-9 players who have modern offensive skills like Boozer.

What the league has never seen, however, is a prospect at Boozer's size score efficiently, rebound at an elite level, and have the playmaking ability of a point guard. Sure, Nikola Jokic has solidified himself as one of the best players of all time with a similar skillset. However, at 18 years old, he was not even close to the player Boozer is as a teenager.

Boozer would be able to step in right away and, at the very least, be a secondary connector, a catch-and-shoot threat, and a menace on the glass on both ends. That projection is conservative. It would not be surprising at all for him to come in and lead the team in assists as the primary facilitator. A key factor early on will be how much the Grizzlies trust Boozer on the perimeter as a pick-and-roll handler.

There is no doubt the interior game will translate immediately, but playing outside will play a big role in Boozer's ascension as a pro.

From a lineup standpoint, Boozer and Zach Edey would immediately be an elite rebounding duo. Memphis could lead the league in rebounding with those two and Cedric Coward (elite rebounding wing) on the floor. Boozer's offensive versatility will allow him to fit in just about any combination the Grizzlies want to put on the court.

Boozer's biggest question mark is his defense. He is not quick enough to profile as a switchable perimeter pest, and he is also not tall or athletic enough to be an anchor protecting the rim. He falls into a tweener type that will need to rely on IQ and instincts to be a disruption defensively. Luckily for the Grizzlies, it can work with Edey, Coward, and Wells handling the bulk of the defensive load early in Boozer's career.

His rugged playstyle and quiet personality off the court would also be an ideal fit in the city of Memphis as the face of the Grizzlies.

Darryn Peterson: The perfect lead guard

If an NBA guard were built in a lab, that player would be pretty close to Peterson. At 6-6 with a 6-9.75 wingspan, he has near-perfect measureables. Usually, players with great physical traits lack the skill to be a complete player at 19 years old, but Peterson is an exception. He is far along in his development from a skills standpoint compared to the average teenage guard.

He is one of the smoothest guard prospects of all time, excelling as an off-ball movement shooter at Kansas. The number of jump shots he took in college will not directly translate to his NBA shot diet. Peterson infamously dealt with injuries all season, particularly severe cramping, which he later said was due to poor hydration after creatine intake.

What we saw last season was just a piece of the player he can be as a pro. In high school, Peterson got teammates involved as a primary facilitator and scorer.

Peterson's athleticism also turned into a question mark, but he clearly was not himself physically in college. He shows the burst and leaping ability in high school to attack the rim with force in the NBA.

Expect Peterson to be a do-it-all, three-level scorer that plays above the rim and creates for teammates at the NBA level.

For Memphis, he likely would not immediately start at the one, but he would be the starting two guard right away. Peterson would be able to operate as a secondary handler and have some pick-and-roll opportunities with Zach Edey. He would also likely be the team's leading scorer.

His experience playing off-ball in college would also help him in lineups with multiple guards or in situations where Coward has the ball. While his path to superstardom primarily involves him being on the ball, Peterson's ability to be effective without the ball will be valuable early in his career.

Defensively, he will not be the primary stopper for any team he is on, but he has the measureables and athleticism to be effective on the perimeter.

Caleb Wilson: Versatile disruptor that jumps out of the gym

Wilson is the best pure athlete in the class. At 6-10, the 19-year-old also projects as the class's best defender. It is easy to see Wilson being a disruptor guarding 1-4 inside and outside. Offensively, he plays like he is angry with rims.

What makes Wilson unique and gives him all-time prospect status is his ability to score in the midrange at his size with the athleticism he has. While his finishing ability stands out due to his explosiveness, he is a good shotmaker from 12 to 15 feet.

What concerns some about his NBA outlook is the three-ball. He shot just 26 percent from beyond the arc in college, but his touch from two-point range and shot mechanics show that the potential is there for Wilson to develop the long ball.

On the Grizzlies, Wilson would immediately be the best defender on the team. Players who can defend on the perimeter and be a helpside rim protector do not come around often. He would step in as a good replacement for Jaren Jackson Jr. next to Edey. He is not the rim protector Jackson was, but his versatility presents a different look than what Jackson brought to the team in Memphis.

Considering the outside shot has a long way to go, and he is not ready to be a primary handler, Wilson would likely be the weakest offensive player out of Memphis' options at No. 3. That is probably more praise towards Boozer and Peterson than it is a knock on Wilson, however.

All three prospects would bring different versions of elite skillsets to Memphis. Whoever the pick ends up being, the Grizzlies will get a jolt of excitement in the organization heading into 2026-27.

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Landon Speck
LANDON SPECK

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