Mavericks’ first-round draft pick Morez Johnson Jr. responds to questions from the media during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 25, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Morez Johnson Jr. didn’t start playing basketball until middle school, sixth or seventh grade he estimates, but it was during that period of adolescence when his goal of making it to the NBA was born.
That dream was realized Tuesday night when the Dallas Mavericks selected the Michigan forward/center with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft — a decision that caught most of the league by surprise, including Johnson.
“I didn’t find out Dallas liked me until draft night,” he said Thursday at his introductory news conference.
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The Mavericks’ new front office leaders Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz kept their plans to select Johnson private throughout the draft process, as most league observers believed they’d address a positional need in the backcourt. But the pick wasn’t about position. It was about drafting one of the most versatile defenders and skilled rebounders in college basketball. Their goal was to add someone with a fiery edge that will help support the competitive culture Ujiri and Schmitz aim to create in Dallas.
It also helps that the front office duo had insight from the one coach who knows Johnson best: Dusty May, who was officially named the Mavericks’ new head coach just hours before the draft.
Johnson has been described as a relentless player with a nonstop motor who can find success without needing the ball. He’s someone who can impact the game on both ends of the floor, in a variety of ways. It’s why he played a pivotal role in co-leading Michigan to its first national championship in 37 years. He averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game as a sophomore with the Wolverines, while showing his commitment to winning on a nightly basis.
“I think I’m an every day guy,” Johnson said. “I’m going to show up every day professional and ready to do my job. Be a great teammate, a great person and I’m a lead by example type of guy. I’m going to be here early, in the gym, and the last one to leave.”
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Those habits were cultivated by Johnson’s family, who sat in the front row of Thursday’s news conference. When asked about their influence, Johnson credited his mother, Natasha, for instilling his competitiveness and his father, Morez Sr., for providing consistent encouragement throughout the ups and downs of his basketball career.
Mavericks’ first-round draft pick Morez Johnson Jr. poses for photos with President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 25, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Johnson played one season at Illinois, but transferred to Michigan as a sophomore to play under May. The pairing, along with May’s two other lottery picks, Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday May, led to a 37-3 record and a national title, leaving all four with positive momentum in their collective leaps to the NBA. The Mavericks will someday have championship expectations again, so it helps to have someone with a winning mentality on the roster despite his status as a rookie.
It also helps that the person who was hired to be Johnson’s head coach is May, who has the familiarity to bring the best out of him.
“I know what to expect from him,” Johnson said. “He’s going to hold me accountable. He’s going to hold me to a high standard and push me every day.”
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Elated by his selection and reunion with May, Johnson infamously coined the nickname “The Michigan Mavs” during his postdraft interview with ESPN. His Wolverine teammates weren’t far behind him. Lendeborg went 11th overall to Golden State, while Aday Mara was picked 12th by Oklahoma City. Johnson said the trio tried to guess who’d be taken first off the board and who would be the last, a friendly form of “trolling each other.”
In the end, it was Johnson who was first among the group to shake the hand of NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“What can I say, man? I am Dusty’s favorite,” Johnson joked.
Johnson was direct throughout most of his 14-minute news conference, but his personality broke out in spurts, most notably before he began to field questions. Three of his new teammates were in attendance for his introductory news conference: Max Christie, AJ Johnson and two-way guard John Poulakidas. The support from Christie and Poulakidas was notable because they share Chicago roots with Johnson, who hails from Riverdale, Illinois. Upon being introduced as an alum of Michigan, Johnson playfully pointed and smirked toward Christie, who wore a Michigan State T-shirt to honor his own alma mater.
For those not familiar with Johnson’s game, he’s a lengthy 6-9 forward who excels at rim running and crashing the glass for offensive rebounds. He’s efficient at the basket and can also guard all five positions, referring to switching on defense as his superpower. He modeled his game after the soon-to-be Miami Heat duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo and sees himself in the NBA as a power forward, which gives the Mavericks a prominent defensive frontcourt when paired in lineups alongside Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II.
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Johnson has a previous history with Flagg on the AAU circuit and they also played on the same team in the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit. He’s looking forward to reuniting with the reigning Rookie of the Year and wreaking havoc on the defensive end, like he did alongside Lendeborg.
“I think it can be very similar to how I was at Michigan,” Johnson said. “Switching everything, touching the ball, forcing a lot of turnovers and getting deflections.”
As for offense, Johnson said he’d like to expand his shooting range at the next level after shooting 34.3% from beyond the arc last season at Michigan on just 35 attempts. He’d also like to show what he can do with more on-ball reps.
“I don’t think I showed anyone that I know how to put the ball on the floor,” he said. “I didn’t need to at Michigan. I had a very good team.”
Johnson will be surrounded by very good players at the next level, as well, including Flagg, Kyrie Irving, Lively and Christie. Depending on what happens during to the roster during free agency, he could be called upon to test those ball-handling skills. At the very least, he’ll get a chance to showcase the wide range of his game during the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League, which begins on July 8.
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Johnson is an NBA player now, and he’ll have every opportunity to prove why with his newfound opportunity in Dallas. Even if it’s not where he expected he’d begin his professional career.
“I was caught off guard, but I’m truly blessed to be here,” he said.