Cameron Boozer is an early Rookie of the Year favorite after the 2026 NBA Draft as top picks land in Washington, Utah and Memphis

The 2026 NBA Draft is finished, and Rookie of the Year talk has already started to crystallize around the players most likely to see immediate minutes in their new uniforms. In an early round of expert ROY predictions following the 60-player selection process in Brooklyn, CBS Sports’ panel pointed to Cameron Boozer as the favorite for the award’s first major ballot. The reasoning is straightforward, rookies are evaluated in part by how quickly they turn opportunity into on-court impact once the season begins.

At the top of the board, the Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick, and Darryn Peterson went No. 2 to the Jazz. Those early selections matter because they tend to come with both expectation and a clear role as teams plan their future development cycles. The Grizzlies then took Cameron Boozer, while Caleb Wilson rounded out the top four, chosen by the Bulls, giving each of the first-week’s primary storylines a direct path to meaningful evaluation in their debut season.

The CBS Sports piece also emphasized how the draft’s early shape followed conventional scouting logic, with the “top of the draft” described as going largely as expected. After the opening quartet, a run of guards came in the top 10, which typically indicates that multiple teams were prioritizing backcourt creation and spacing from day one. Later in the lottery, the draft included three players from Michigan’s national championship team, underscoring how recent college success can translate into draft value when franchises look for NBA-ready skill sets and proven team fit.

It is important to separate draft placement from draft production, because ROY is ultimately a season-long outcome rather than a promise. Rookie of the Year voting rewards players who can stay available, fit into rotations, and contribute consistently, often against older, more experienced league opposition. Even a projected frontrunner like Boozer still faces the normal unpredictability of training camp and the reality that roles can shift quickly when lineups are built for defense, playmaking balance, and playoff-style matchups.

For the Wizards, Jazz, Bulls and Grizzlies, the ROY conversation is also an early indicator of how each organization intends to build around youth. Washington’s addition of Dybantsa at No. 1 suggests the franchise is prioritizing a high-ceiling prospect and a timeline that reaches beyond a single season. Utah’s selection of Peterson with the No. 2 pick similarly points to a development-first plan, while Chicago’s choice of Wilson frames a near-term opportunity for a rookie to contribute as the Bulls decide which combinations best stabilize their offensive identity.

What to watch next is how each rookie’s minutes and usage evolve once Summer League and training camp give coaches clearer answers about fit and readiness. If Boozer holds the center of his team’s developmental plan early, that increases the likelihood that the early ROY favorite remains near the top of the narrative through the long months of the regular season. If another rookie from the early guard wave or from the later Michigan group cracks rotations faster than expected, the betting-style “favorite” label will likely become a rotating shortlist well before the award vote.