At the moment, it doesn't seem likely that Cameron Boozer will be the Utah Jazz's No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but that doesn't mean he should be ruled out. There's a compelling case that Utah taking him isn't the worst idea. Skeptics may cry nepotism if that's the case, but the latest intel suggests Utah wouldn't take him for that reason.
The Deseret News' Sarah Todd revealed that if the Jazz take Boozer, it won't be because of Carlos Boozer's history with the Jazz, nor his current ties to the team.
"Just for the sake of really covering this subject, I think it’s important to mention that the Jazz will not be selecting Boozer just because his father played for the Jazz and currently works for the team in their scouting division," Todd wrote.
Nepo baby is a term that's gotten a little trivialized over the past few years, but Boozer is the exception to this rule, despite his namesake. He's not like Bronny James, whose place in the NBA remains highly in question because of his father.
Cameron is different, as he's considered one of the best prospects in one of the NBA's most impressive classes, regardless of being the son of Carlos Boozer. That's also because the bar for him is higher than it was for his father when the latter played in the NBA.
Having Carlos around would potentially help Cameron stay
Nepotism will not be why the Jazz would take Cameron Boozer, but if they do, it might be how the Jazz get him to stay long-term. Having family ties to the team could convince Cameron to stick around in Utah.
Keeping stars has been far from a guarantee for the Jazz. They need every advantage they can get, so in the event that the Jazz take Cameron, having Carlos around - the most high-profile player who willingly joined Utah in franchise history - would help the team's chances of keeping Cameron for the duration of his prime.
The irony is that it doesn't seem as too likely that the Jazz would take him with who is ranked ahead of them in this class, and even so, it would be a comfort to take a player who would likely have extra incentive to stay with the team.
Then again, Ace Bailey initially didn't want to play for Utah, which didn't faze them in the slightest. Look what happened there. Having the son of a Jazz alum (who's expected to be better than him) would make them feel better about not only being good, but staying good, but the Jazz also know it's in their best interest to take the best player available.
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