In a recent episode of the "Club 520 Podcast," former Indiana Pacers guard Jeff Teague opined that the team should take Cameron Boozer over AJ Dybantsa in this year's draft (assuming they have the opportunity to because Boozer would gel better with the team and doesn't have an "outgoing big personality."
“Tyrese Haliburton is your star. AJ Dybantsa come, he’s not your star no more, even though he’ll be a perennial All-Star. Tyrese Haliburton is a really good player. Cam Boozer fit the mold of blending in with our star," Teague said
"We have trouble in Indiana with outgoing big personalities. Like, you look at the Colts, Peyton Manning was a low personality. He just did his job. Was really, really good at his job. He became more popular after he retired. ... Same with Reggie [Miller]. You didn’t know, he had a personality in the locker room... Now, who he is way different than when he played. Paul George was a low-key superstar. He ain’t do too much. He was lowkey. We like that here.”
I understand what Teague is saying, but I wholeheartedly disagree with the “we didn’t know Peyton Manning and Reggie Miller had personalities until they left Indiana” take.
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) March 24, 2026
If Indiana is afraid to draft Dybantsa because he’d become better than Haliburton, that’s lunacy. https://t.co/QC0UazIDY0
Should the Pacers draft Cameron Boozer over AJ Dybantsa?
To be fair to Teague, it's a fair argument (even if how he got there is a little questionable). And if the Pacers are truly afraid fo drafting the BYU forward because he might be better than Haliburton, then that's a good problem to have.
The top of this year's draft is incredibly talented with Boozer, Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson all having the potential to be franchise guys at the NBA level. If Indiana can land any of them, it will be a blessing.
But if the Pacers secure the No. 1 overall pick (which is entirely possible since they have the worst record in the NBA with only a couple of weeks left on the schedule), they need to decide who the ultimate dream addition would be. And while some (including Teague, in this case) believe that Boozer is the guy for Indiana, there is a whole other side that believes it should be Dybantsa or Peterson.
All three of these guys are talented. And if they weren't all a part of the same draft class, they might all be the No. 1 overall pick. That's how good this draft class is. But there can only be one No. 1 overall pick, and in my opinion, that should be Dybantsa, especially if the Pacers are the team that is lucky enough to sit at the top of the draft in June.
Dybantsa, Boozer, and Peterson all have their pros and cons.
While Dybantsa is an athletic freak who can do a bit of everything at a high level, his defense is questionable, and he still needs to work out his inconsistencies. Boozer is an incredibly intelligent basketball player who can do everything on offense and is a fantastic rebounder, but his lack of athleticism and rim protection could lower his NBA ceiling. And as for Peterson, he is one of the most gifted shot-creators the draft has seen in a while, but he also isn't much of a playmaker (he averaged 1.6 assists and turnovers at Kansas this season) and has injury concerns.
All three of these players have reasons for and against drafting them first overall. But in my opinion, Dybantsa is the pick. He is a versatile forward with elite physical tools who probably has the highest floor among the three. And in Indiana specifically, he can truly flourish on a team that is ready to compete for a title next season and might even have a spot open for him in the starting lineup right away.
The Pacers can't lose if they keep their pick this year. But at the end of the day, there is one choice that clearly stands out as the best.