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Grizzlies Draft Cameron Boozer, Morant Trade Stalls, Rebuild Accelerates

6/24/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Memphis Grizzlies selected forward Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 pick at the 2026 NBA Draft in New York.
Ja Morant, with $87 million left on his contract, has found no trade partner as the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves ruled out interest.
GM Zach Kleiman said the acquisition of Karim Lopez at No. 21 and five second-round picks adds young talent and should accelerate the franchise’s rebuild begun in 2025.

History

Historical Context

In the 2008 NBA draft, Memphis selected forward-center Kevin Love with the 5th overall pick and immediately swapped him to Minnesota for the 3rd-overall guard O.J. Mayo in an eight-player deal. That trade marked the Timberwolves’ first of several high-pick exchanges aimed at rebuilding after the 2007 Kevin Garnett departure. The pattern of leveraging draft assets continues to shape Memphis’s roster strategy today.

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Story summary

The Memphis Grizzlies selected forward Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 pick at the 2026 NBA Draft in New York.
Ja Morant, with $87 million left on his contract, has found no trade partner as the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves ruled out interest.
GM Zach Kleiman said the acquisition of Karim Lopez at No. 21 and five second-round picks adds young talent and should accelerate the franchise’s rebuild begun in 2025.

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