With the 2025-26 NBA regular season in the books, the Brooklyn Nets can now fully shift their focus to a pivotal offseason. A major piece of that puzzle will be the 2026 NBA Draft, where the Nets hope the lottery balls bounce their way. According to the latest projections, if Brooklyn holds onto the third overall pick, they could be adding a foundational piece to their roster.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report projects the Nets to select Duke forward Cameron Boozer with that third pick. Boozer, the son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, has been a standout at Duke, cementing himself as one of the elite prospects in this class. While he's currently viewed as the third-best player behind BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas's Darryn Peterson, his well-rounded game makes him an incredibly enticing prospect for a team looking to build for the future.
The 18-year-old phenom wrapped up his sophomore season with impressive averages of 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. His efficiency is what truly stands out, shooting a stellar 55.6% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. Wasserman highlights Boozer's high-level skill, noting his elite assist rate and his grading in the 90th percentile or better in ball-screen and isolation situations according to Synergy Sports.
However, the pre-draft evaluation is always about projecting to the next level. Some scouts have questions about Boozer's athletic ceiling, specifically his quickness and vertical pop, and how those traits will translate defensively in the NBA. The debate for teams picking at the top will be whether Boozer's proven production, high basketball IQ, and versatile offensive toolkit outweigh the perceived higher upside of other prospects.
For Nets fans, this projection signals an exciting potential direction. Adding a player of Boozer's caliber—a skilled, modern forward who can score, rebound, and facilitate—would be a significant step in the franchise's ongoing rebuild. As the draft process heats up, all eyes will be on how the Nets' front office evaluates this talented crop of future stars.