While the college basketball season is quickly approaching, it's never too early to start thinking about the NBA Draft. The 2026 draft class has three players in the mix for the top pick, including Kansas' Darryn Peterson, Duke's Cameron Boozer, and BYU's AJ Dybantsa.
Boozer is, of course, the son of long-time NBA player Carlos Boozer and is an intriguing archetype of a player. The Duke power forward is a bit of an undersized forward, listed at 6-foot-9, and he doesn't have elite athletic gifts.
Nevertheless, he is a versatile inside-out scorer and a hard-nosed rebounder with excellent feel for the game. Hearing this, Minnesota Timberwolves fans may think of Kevin Love. An undersized power forward who became a multi-time All-Star in large part due to his versatility and feel for the game. Love is fondly remembered as one of the best Timberwolves of all-time.
Draft guru Sam Vecenie notes similarities between Cameron Boozer and Kevin Love
During a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon went over their first 2026 mock draft. Boozer went third, and when discussing him, Vecenie mentioned some similarities to Love.
"It just feels so similar to how people questioned Kevin Love coming in [the league] to me. And Kevin Love is this guy who's working on what year 20 in the NBA. Five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA player, Kevin Love was a real problem when he was in Minnesota, and obviously played a big part in that Cleveland title team. I think Cam Boozer is a stud."
This comparison makes a lot of sense given both Boozer's strengths and concerns. While he isn't an explosive athlete with elite size, Boozer makes up for this with his strength and IQ. It's worth noting that Boozer, much like Love, thrives in transition as both a scorer and passer.
Vecenie did go on to say it's fair to wonder what Boozer's upside is, but that he has a high floor. As a result, one could say that Boozer projects to be more of a secondary star, which is what Love was with the Cavs. Furthermore, having a high floor and with this playstyle, it's possible that Boozer has a long career like Love. Evaluating players before they've played in college is tricky, but the early signs of Boozer show shades of Love.
Boozer is also a gifted inside scorer and pick-and-pop threat. We'll have to see how this develops with a full season of college ball, but in high school, he ranked in the 93rd percentile for shooting at the rim and the 85th percentile for shooting off the catch. He has shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range off the catch over the past two seasons. In his prime, Love was one of the first true stretch bigs who also possessed impressive inside scoring.
Similar to Love, Boozer makes a positive impact on defense by being well-positioned and constantly crashing the glass. Love averaged 12.2 rebounds during his six-year tenure with the Wolves, including a season where he led the league in rebounds.
Again, seeing Boozer play a full season in a college setting will be vital to evaluating him. Regardless, right now he projects to be a top-three pick, and his archetype has clear similarities to Love.