The Indiana Pacers have the worst record in the NBA at present, at 15-55, and will have a shot at getting the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If the Pacers do get that pick, it appears they might make a somewhat surprising decision by selecting Duke’s Cameron Boozer, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
“No one in the NBA that I’ve consulted projects any sort of dramatic draft night fall for either [Darryn] Peterson or Boozer. When it comes to Boozer, in fact, there is a sentiment among some rival teams that the Duke star would be Indiana’s preferred selection even if the Pacers were to come away with the No. 1 overall pick because of his potential fit alongside Pascal Siakam and newly acquired Ivica Zubac.”
Boozer has been in the running to be the first pick, but was seen as third in that race behind Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa. We had him going third in our mock draft as well, but rival teams seem to believe the Pacers would opt to go for the better fit, not necessarily the best prospect.
That’s not to say Boozer is some slouch. The 18-year-old has had an outstanding freshman season, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Blue Devils in 2025-26, while shooting 56.0% from the field and 40.2% from beyond the arc.
Boozer is a semifinalist for the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year Award, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he wins it. He has already been named ACC Player of the Year and is a consensus first-team All-American.
Boozer’s father, Carlos Boozer, has called him the modern-day Tim Duncan. The former All-Star, of course, played against Duncan during his NBA career and claims GMs will regret it if they pass on his son.
There is a lot to like about Boozer, who is listed at 6’9″ and 250 pounds, offensively, but there are some concerns on the defensive end. He isn’t the greatest of athletes and doesn’t excel at shot-blocking either. While Boozer does have the basketball IQ to make up for some of his limitations, only time will tell just how good he will be on that end of the floor in the NBA.
Boozer will have plenty of good defenders to cover for him if he ends up with the Pacers, who made it to the NBA Finals in 2025. He’ll have Ivica Zubac and Pascal Siakam along with him in that frontcourt and Aaron Nesmith in the backcourt. Boozer’s playmaking and his ability to shoot from the outside make him a good fit offensively with the Pacers as well. So, it’s not surprising that teams think Indiana will go down this route.
Currently, the Pacers have a 14.0% chance of getting the first pick. They have a 52.1% chance of picking in the top four and would be praying they don’t slide out.
While missing out on the likes of Boozer would be bad enough, the Pacers will also lose their first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers if it falls between five and nine, as per the Zubac trade. They’ll be hoping luck is on their side now after their hopes of winning the championship in 2025 were shattered by Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
