AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 freshman, projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, led the nation in scoring at 25.5 ppg and has already been named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Who wouldn’t want a player like that on their team? Well, former Indiana Pacer Jeff Teague believes that the Pacers would pass on him. For him, Duke freshman Cameron Boozer is the better-suited option.

Teague believes that the Pacers already have a superstar in Tyrese Haliburton. And so what the team needs is not another superstar. Instead, Teague argues they need a player who can blend in alongside an already established figure like Haliburton, rather than another primary superstar. As he puts it, “Tyrese Haliburton is your star, AJ Dybantsa comes, and he’s not your star no more. Cam Boozer fit the mode of blending in with our star.” 

By all metrics, Cameron Boozer is also a superstar in his own right. The 6-foot-9 power forward was named Sporting News National Player of the Year and is currently projected as a top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. And of course, his production backs all these up. He leads the ACC in scoring with 22.7 points per game, which makes him sixth in the nation. He also averages 10.3 rebounds per game, placing 13th in the nation while topping the conference. So he’s understandably a worthy alternative to AJ.

And this is not to question AJ Dybantsa’s talent in any way. Teague, in fact, fully expects AJ to be a perennial All-Star. However, Dybantsa’s playstyle is so dominant that he would likely take over as the team’s primary star almost immediately. This could diminish Haliburton’s role and disrupt the current structure. In contrast, Cameron Boozer offers a different kind of impact, one that still guarantees elite production but doesn’t require him to be a big central personality.

According to Teague, the Pacers, as a franchise, usually “have trouble with outgoing big personalities.” And so, a “low-key superstar” like Boozer would suit the team better. “Like, you look at the Colts,” Teague said, “Peyton Manning was a low-key personality. He just did his job. Same with Reggie Miller. Paul George was a low-key superstar. He ain’t do too much. He was lowkey. We like that here.”

As things stand, the Indiana Pacers hold a 14% chance, the highest possible odds, of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If they do land it, they’ll have the luxury of choosing from a loaded class that features AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and even Caleb Wilson. Whether they ultimately lean toward Jeff Teague’s line of thinking remains to be seen, but that answer won’t come until June.

Cameron Boozer Downplays Draft Position, Eyes Long NBA Career

Being a projected top-three draft pick may be a big deal to many. For Cameron Boozer, it’s not something he loses sleep over. For him, the focus is on being a good fit wherever he gets drafted and building a long, successful NBA career. As he puts it, “Whether I go one or go 15th, it’s more about fit. I just want to have a long career.”

Boozer believes that where he starts his NBA career does not have a bearing on where he will finish, and it likely won’t matter in ten years. What is important, however, is putting in the work day by day and being the best version of himself.

And of course, it absolutely looks like he’s on the right path, leading the Blue Devils in their push toward an NCAA championship. He put up 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists to lead the team to a first-round win against Siena. Against TCU in the second round, he followed it up with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals for another Duke victory. They now face Rick Pitino’s St. John’s in the Sweet Sixteen round, and fans will certainly be expecting him to step up once again for the team.