Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May addressed the selection of Morez Johnson Jr. on Thursday, July 9, explaining that he was not the person who made the decision to draft his former Michigan player ninth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
“I didn’t draft Morez just for the record. When it was explained to me why we drafted him it all made sense,” May said.
May coached Johnson during the 2025-26 college season at Michigan, where the forward developed into one of the Big Ten’s most productive interior players. Despite their previous relationship, May indicated that the Mavericks’ decision was based on the organization’s evaluation of Johnson’s fit rather than simply his familiarity with the player.
Johnson spent his freshman season at Illinois before transferring to Michigan for his sophomore year. In 40 games with the Wolverines in 2025-26, he averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.1 minutes per game while shooting 62.3% from the field, 34.3% from three-point range and 78.2% from the free-throw line.
Across two college seasons, Johnson appeared in 70 games and averaged 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 62.8% from the field. He entered the draft as a physical frontcourt player known for rebounding, finishing around the basket and defensive versatility.
The Mavericks selected Johnson after a major offseason transition that saw the franchise restructure its basketball operations under President Masai Ujiri, General Manager Mike Schmitz and May. Dallas moved on from former head coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison while beginning a rebuild around No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.
Johnson was Dallas’ first selection in the 2026 NBA Draft, followed by Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea at No. 25 and Russian guard Vsevolod Ishchenko at No. 56 after acquiring his draft rights.
The Mavericks entered the offseason looking to improve a roster that finished 26-56 in the 2025-26 regular season and ranked among the NBA’s weakest three-point shooting teams. Dallas added shooting and offensive versatility through moves involving Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser and Tarik Biberovic while building a younger roster around Flagg and the expected return of Kyrie Irving.
Johnson made his first appearance for Dallas during NBA Summer League action against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. The rookie forward led the Mavericks with 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in 32 minutes during a 101-90 loss.
He shot 12-of-17 from the field, including 1-of-4 from three-point range, and was one of the few bright spots for Dallas as the team struggled from beyond the arc, making just 9-of-38 three-point attempts.
