Cayden Boozer bypasses transfer portal, returns to Duke for sophomore season

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Duke guard Cayden Boozer is returning for his sophomore season, the school announced Thursday with a social media post. Industry sources tell CBS Sports a transfer had been on the table for Cayden, who is the twin brother of soon-to-be-NBA-bound Cameron Boozer.

Year 2⃣ loading 👿 pic.twitter.com/kROQucGvEt

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 16, 2026

Boozer, a former four-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, had an up-and-down freshman season at Duke, but he found a larger role toward the end of the season -- specifically, when starting guard Caleb Foster went down with an ankle injury. Boozer ended up starting in all three ACC Tournament games and four NCAA Tournament games.

This season could be viewed as unfamiliar territory for Cayden. This will be the first time he plays without his brother, as Cameron is projected as a top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Had Cayden Boozer entered the transfer portal in search of a fresh start and guaranteed playing time as the lead guard, Miami would have been a popular projected landing spot for a number of reasons: The twins hail from Miami, and Hurricanes coach Jai Lucas is a former Duke assistant who recruited the Boozers to Duke. But on Wednesday, Miami landed a big-time portal commitment from combo guard Acaden Lewis (Villanova), which may have closed the door on any intent Cayden Boozer had of transferring to Miami.

Duke's season came to an end against UConn in the Elite Eight after the Blue Devils blew a 19-point advantage. On Duke's penultimate offensive possession, Boozer caught the ball close to the half-court line and attempted to throw a one-handed pass over the top of two UConn defenders. That pass was tipped, which led to UConn freshman Braylon Mullins hitting one of the most iconic shots in NCAA Tournament history moments later.

During his freshman season at Duke, Boozer started 11 games and averaged 22.8 minutes. He finished the season averaging 7.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 50% from the floor. Boozer was viewed as a crucial stay-or-go decision for Duke coach Jon Scheyer alongside Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II. Five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. is also in the fold, which gives Scheyer flexibility at guard and perhaps makes Foster the odd man out.