Cameron Boozer stepped onto an NBA floor for the first time Monday night and immediately looked like the player Memphis drafted him to become. In the Grizzlies’ 132-123 preseason win over the Atlanta Hawks, the No. 3 overall pick finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 18 minutes. He shot 5-of-9 from the field and affected the game in multiple ways against mostly regular rotation players in his Grizzlies’ debut.
This wasn’t a quiet debut padded against third-stringers. Memphis used 18 players and leaned on close to its full group outside of center Zach Edey, who sat out as he continues working back from March ankle surgery. Boozer still produced across the board while showing the size, vision and power that made him one of the most polished prospects in the 2026 draft class.
Cameron Boozer’s Efficient All-Around Grizzlies Debut Performance
At 6-foot-10 and 19 years of age, Boozer moved with purpose. He attacked closeouts, made quick decisions out of the post, and found open teammates — including Jaylen Wells for threes in both the second and third quarters. The four assists stood out as much as the scoring. Defensively he recorded two steals and held his own against different matchups. He told reporters afterward he’d dropped weight since Duke, and it showed — his foot speed and ability to stay in front of quicker players looked sharper than it had in Summer League.
Why This Debut Carries Extra Weight in Memphis
Context makes the night bigger than a typical preseason box score. The Grizzlies traded franchise cornerstone Ja Morant to Portland in June and had already moved Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah back in February. Those two moves, on top of last summer’s Desmond Bane trade, cleared the path for a full reset. Drafting Boozer third overall was the clearest signal yet that Memphis is handing the next chapter of the franchise to its newest young star — and he’s not being eased in as a complementary piece. He’s being positioned as a primary option alongside the young core the front office built around him.
Early Signs of Fit and What Comes Next
Coach Tuomas Iisalo’s group showed real offensive balance, moving the ball and sharing the scoring load rather than leaning on one player. Boozer’s presence helped drive that flow. His role should keep expanding as the preseason continues and Edey works back to full health. The physical tools and feel for the game that made him college basketball’s top player at Duke already look NBA-ready.
Preseason results rarely define careers, but first impressions matter when a franchise has deliberately turned the page. Boozer’s debut offered the kind of multi-faceted production Memphis hoped for. For a team rebuilding around youth and versatility, it was an encouraging start — the real tests come once games count, but the early evidence says Memphis’s new centerpiece is ready for the job.
Cameron Boozer Grizzlies Debut: No. 3 Pick Flashes All-Around Game