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Grizzlies Have a Rising Talent Ready to Become a Key Piece
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Cameron Boozer arrives in Memphis with the kind of expectations that usually follow a player around from the moment he puts on an NBA jersey.
The Grizzlies selected him third overall in the 2026 NBA Draft after a dominant season at Duke, where he averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and earned national player of the year honors. That kind of production doesn't guarantee an easy NBA transition, but it does explain why Memphis didn't hesitate to make him a centerpiece of its future.
The interesting part is that Boozer won't be stepping into the frontcourt alone.
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But hard stop. Zach Edey is also entering a season where a bigger role could be waiting. After an ankle injury limited him to just 11 games last year, the former first-round pick is looking to get back to the player Memphis thought it was getting. Before the injury shut him down, Edey was already showing flashes, averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in under 26 minutes per game.
Edey brings the size, rebounding, and interior presence that can change a game without needing the ball every possession.
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Boozer feels like the player with the biggest spotlight because of where he was drafted and the expectations that come with being a top-three pick. But Edey's return could be just as important. A healthy version of him gives Memphis a different kind of weapon.
There are plenty of young players who enter the league with hype. The ones who stick are the ones who figure out how their game fits next to everyone else.
Boozer has the talent to make an immediate impact. Edey has the chance to remind everyone why Memphis believed in him. The Grizzlies could have something interesting brewing up front.
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