The Memphis Grizzlies enter the 2026 NBA Draft holding two first-round picks, and Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley projects them to use both wisely: Cameron Boozer at No. 3 overall and Dailyn Swain at No. 16, the latter acquired from Phoenix via trade. Together the selections represent the beginning of Memphis’s organizational overhaul — a rebuild that accelerated after Ja Morant’s departure became increasingly certain this offseason.

Boozer is the most polished player in this draft despite not yet turning 19. A 6-foot-9 power forward out of Duke, he scores from the post with sophisticated footwork and raw power, shoots 40 percent from three on high volume, and has enough handle to operate as a point forward when the defense asks for it. He won the Naismith Player of the Year award, led Duke to a 35-win season, and impressed scouts at the NBA Draft Combine with a lane agility score that outperformed both Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson. A meaningful group of NBA executives believe Boozer should have gone No. 1 overall.

The opportunity cost at No. 3 is Chicago Bulls’ selection Caleb Wilson, a 6-foot-9 forward from North Carolina who is arguably the most gifted pure athlete in the class — a springy, high-motor energy source with an exceptional rebounding radius and relentless finishing ability. Wilson’s question marks center on his jumper and off-ball defensive awareness. Boozer’s more complete floor game makes him the safer bet, but the gap between the two is real and the Bulls believe they got the better player at No. 4.

Memphis’s fit case for Boozer is airtight. Center Zach Edey — who thrives as a vertical threat in the paint — plays alongside Boozer’s skill-heavy game without creating redundancy. Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells provide wings capable of spacing the floor, and the front office can now build a new backcourt identity around Boozer’s passing and creation rather than relying on an Morant-centric isolation attack.

The No. 16 pick, acquired from Phoenix, allows the Grizzlies to double down on their youth movement. Buckley projects Texas junior wing Dailyn Swain there. At 6-foot-7, Swain is a dynamic downhill attacker who became the most efficient isolation scorer in college basketball while at Texas, with active, switchable defense and surprising creativity as a finisher. His jump shot is the glaring concern — the mechanics are stiff and his hesitancy to shoot from range traces back to high school — but his value as a fast-break weapon and defensive disruptor makes him worth the risk at this price. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor projects Labaron Philon, the shifty Alabama sophomore guard, for Memphis in this same slot.

The player selected immediately after the No. 16 pick in Buckley’s mock is Chicago’s Hannes Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 Washington freshman center with dominant offensive rebounding, polished post scoring, and emerging three-point range. Steinbach would have given Memphis a versatile big to complement Boozer inside, but his interior profile overlaps enough with Edey to make the wing-oriented Swain a smarter positional fit.

CBS Sports and Tankathon both project Boozer to Memphis at No. 3 without deviation. The pick at No. 16 is specific to the traded pick from Phoenix, which CBS and Tankathon do not track in their standard mock formats, so direct comparison is available only where confirmed.

What Other Outlets Are Projecting

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke (#3); Dailyn Swain, SF, Texas (#16)
CBS Sports	Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke (#3)
Tankathon	Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke (#3)
Yahoo Sports	Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke (#3); Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama (#16)

Landing Boozer at No. 3 and adding a versatile wing at No. 16 gives Memphis a complete draft class rather than a single headline addition. Boozer’s track record of winning, his polished two-way skill set, and his proven chemistry with big-man teammates make him the ideal rebuilding cornerstone for a franchise that needs a player whose value doesn’t depend on a singular slashing superstar. Two picks, two rotational contributors with star ceilings — that’s a foundation worth building on.