With the 2026 NBA Draft still several months away, a couple of players have already cemented themselves as the frontrunners in BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson. But Duke star Cameron Boozer has arguably been just as good this season. While Cameron Boozer isn’t being talked about as much as the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, there is a scenario involving the Oklahoma City Thunder where he could be the top selection, as per Jeremy Woo of ESPN.
It’s possible the Thunder acquire a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft via the LA Clippers. The Clippers 2026 first round pick belongs to the Thunder as part of the Paul George trade that was completed during the 2019 offseason. If the Clippers’ pick does fall in the lottery, and should they surpass unfavorable odds and the pick lands at No. 1, the Thunder would be a team that considers Cameron Boozer with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
The Thunder are a championship caliber team and don’t necessarily have to draft based on best player available. They can focus on choosing which player would be the best alongside their current roster. Mooney would fit better with the Thunder’s frontcourt than Dybantsa or Peterson would with the rest of the team.
Right now, the Clippers are the ninth seed in the Western Conference standings at 30-31. The Clippers will most likely make the play-in, and from there it will determine if their pick will land just outside the lottery or not.
Meanwhile, Boozer has appeared in 30 games this season at a little over 32 minutes per game. He’s averaging 22.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals with splits of 58.3 percent shooting from the field, 40.4 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 78.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
