The Memphis Grizzlies launch into the future in 2026 NBA Draft 1st round

It was quite the night for the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. A franchise cornerstone was acquired, GM Zach Kleiman and company reminded everyone they're pretty good at the whole NBA Draft thing, and the team is in a much stronger position moving forward than they were before the night began.

Lets begin at the top - the most important pick for Memphis since Ja Morant seven years ago.

Cameron Boozer officially arrives

The Grizzlies were waiting to see what the Wizards and Jazz ahead of them would do. As the draft played out according to plan - AJ Dybantsa to Washington, Darryn Peterson to Utah - Memphis surely had to be thrilled to see Cameron Boozer "fall" to them at #3 overall. Boozer, the reigning John R Wooden award winner as the best player in college basketball, is also still just 18 years old.

You read that right. In a loaded draft, the winner of the top award in the sport, the youngest player in the top 3, went to the Grizzlies.

It doesn't get much better than that.

Boozer has as high of a basketball IQ as you can possess for the stage of his career he is at. And even with all the accolades and advanced numbers pointing to just how strong of a selection he is, the thing Memphis should be most excited about is that the young man is a winner.

He's been the son of a top NBA player his entire life. Since he was 15 years old he has been watched as a top-end talent, winning elite prospect tournaments and being recruited by the blue bloods of the sport. He was a miracle away from getting Duke to the Final Four.

Despite it all, he has won. He brings that professionalism, mentality, and skill set to Memphis now. Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and the rest of the organization just got better.

What a pick.

Another forward! — Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the twenty first pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Mexican forward Karim Lopez after he was selected by the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Karim Lopez is Kleiman's man...after two trade backs

Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman has been in on Karim Lopez for a while. And he checks the box of increasing size and plus length on a Memphis roster that desperately needs it. But considering Cam Carr and Labaron Philon Jr. were still on the board when this pick was made, if Memphis fans were a bit less excited about Lopez than Boozer it is understandable.

But the entirety of the transaction is part of the conversation here. And even if you disagree with Kleiman's logic (he did select David Roddy, among other questionable picks) it is hard to hate on the process.

For Lopez was not the 16th selection for the Grizzlies. That went to Oklahoma City, for #17 and two future 2nd round picks. Lopez wasn't picked at #17 either - that choice went to Detroit, who traded up for #21 and THREE future 2nd round picks.

So Kleiman and Memphis traded back five spots, secured five future 2nd round picks, and still took a player that the organization surely coveted. That had Lottery potential.

So what have we learned?

The Memphis Grizzlies meant what they said when Kleiman wanted the team to get bigger, faster, and stronger. With the picks of Boozer and Lopez, two of those three boxes have been checked. Now Memphis must find what they have found in numerous recent drafts - value in the 2nd round. With the 32nd pick in this draft, plus future selections, the team can make moves to fortify this core or kick the can down the road to drafts to come.

We've also seen the Ja Morant trade market "allegedly" cool. Could some of these future picks be used to sweeten a deal? Maybe, maybe not. But a team that had lots of options entering the draft has even more now in terms of how they want to move on to the next era of Grizzlies basketball.

An era that, most importantly, will be led by Cameron Boozer. Regardless of the next step, that first one is the most significant.

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