Half of the NBA’s general managers believe one rookie will walk away with Rookie of the Year this season. Ask those same GMs who will be the best player from this class five years from now, though, and his name comes in third.
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That’s the split at the heart of NBA.com’s 25th annual GM Survey. Cameron Boozer, the son of former Bulls star Carlos Boozer, received 50% of the vote to win Rookie of the Year. Chicago’s Caleb Wilson was a distant second at 20%, followed by Washington’s AJ Dybantsa at 17% and Utah’s Darryn Peterson at 13%.
That idea flips when it comes to who will have a better future. When asked which rookie will be the best player in five years, Dybantsa and Wilson tied for first with 33% each. Boozer received 23%, and Peterson 10%.
While GMs back Boozer for immediate impact, they see higher ceilings in Dybantsa and Wilson long-term.
Boozer enters the NBA with a resume very few freshmen have ever built. At Duke, he averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 55.6% from the field. He recorded 22 double-doubles, tied for the national lead, and became only the second Duke freshman to reach that mark.
He led the Blue Devils to a 35–3 record and an ACC title before a 73–72 Elite Eight loss to UConn.
The Associated Press named Cameron Boozer the Men’s College Basketball National Player of the Year. Naturally, he was a steal at the third draft pick for the Grizzlies.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
His father, Carlos Boozer, was a two-time NBA All-Star who made the NBA All-Rookie Team. He played for the Chicago Bulls between 2010 and 2014. In 2025, Carlos was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2008 “Redeem Team” that won Olympic gold.
On draft night, he recalled words from his father. “Every day is an opportunity to get better and attack the day,” he said. Now, he’s carried the message to the NBA.
Why Cam Boozer against AJ Dybantsa and Wilson?
Boozer is seen as an instant impact player. He has a high basketball IQ, powerful scoring, and his offensive abilities have already been on full display at Duke University.
Moreover, the Memphis Grizzlies went 25–57 last season and are rebuilding. Six days after drafting Boozer, the Grizzlies traded Ja Morant to Portland, signaling a full reset around a younger core.
That, in a way, makes sure that Boozer will play a pivotal role in the team from day one. NBA.com expects him to pair with center Zach Edey in a frontcourt built for the future, alongside young wing Cedric Coward. Boozer believes his game is ready for it.
“My mind, my ability to process the game and make reads,” he said of what will carry over to the NBA. “I’m a winner and a leader.”
If he wins, he’d join elite company in Memphis. The franchise has produced two Rookies of the Year, Pau Gasol in 2002 and Morant in 2020.
But GMs see more upside in Dybantsa and Wilson for a reason. Dybantsa went first overall after leading the country in scoring at BYU, putting up 25.5 points a night as a 6-foot-9 wing. The trouble for him is that he won’t have the ball as much as Boozer. The Washington Wizards squad is filled with veterans like Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton, so Dybantsa will have to earn his minutes on the wing before he can rack up rookie numbers.
Wilson, the No. 4 pick, brings rare two-way tools. At North Carolina, he averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks, and he handles the ball like a wing despite being 6-foot-9. His freshman season was cut short by a broken thumb, but Chicago is on a rebuild, and it seems clear that they are planning to build around him.
So the GMs are really making two different calls. Boozer is ready now, and Memphis will give him plenty of chances to put up numbers. Dybantsa and Wilson might take longer, but their ceilings look higher.