Morez Johnson Leaves for the Draft: The Michigan Basketball Fan’s NIL-Era Dilemma

Johnson’s memorable one-year stint and quick departure teaches fans that they must adapt to NIL-era of Michigan basketball under Dusty May.

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) and guard Nimari Burnett (4) celebrate after their win against the UConn Huskies in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It’s official: Morez Johnson Jr. is gone. 

After opting into the NBA Draft process in late April, the Michigan big man formalized his decision to leave Ann Arbor by announcing Tuesday via social media of his intent to remain in the NBA draft process.

Evan though Dusty May moved quickly to sign three frontcourt transfers who seemingly could replace Johnson, some uncertainty regarding Johnson’s plans for next season had lingered after his initial declaration for the NBA Draft. There was a glimmer of hope in the Michigan fanbase that Johnson, the All-Big Ten Third Team and Defensive Team selection, might follow junior Guard Elliot Cadeau, who also initially declared for the draft, but changed direction and decided to return to Michigan for another season of college ball,

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Following an eye-popping NBA combine performance last week, Johnson is now a projected late first round pick, an offer simply too good to pass up for the Illinois native.

Johnson’s departure makes plenty of sense, given his rising draft stock. Yet, his leaving is still a bitter reminder of the new, often abbreviated, relationships Michigan fans get to curate with their favorite players in the NIL-Dusty May-era. 

Johnson's success at Michigan 

Johnson transferred to Michigan in 2025 after a freshman year spent at Illinois. Despite not beginning his collegiate career in Ann Arbor, he quickly integrated himself into May's gameplans and came to be beloved by Michigan fans because of his physical play and willingness to buy-in to the Michigan program.

A bruising physical presence with surprising skill and a ferocious attitude, Johnson stuffed the stat sheet and led the team on the court. He was Michigan’s second leading scorer and top rebounder last season, averaging 13.1 points and 7.3 boards per game; he also started every game for the national championship winning squad and was the first guy in an opponent’s face any time things got chippy. 

Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) argues with Tennessee forward Jaylen Carey (23) during the second half of NCAA Tournament Elite 8 round at United Center in Chicago on Sunday, March 29, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He’s going to become a comparison point moving forward, the type of player fans complain about missing when met with underwhelming effort or output from future Wolverines. Truly, he’s been a remarkable success of the one and done NIL-era. Had he stuck around for another year or two, he could have been a legend at Michigan, someone whose name gets immortalized because of the combination of their character and performance. 

And that, indeed, is what rings hollow about Johnson’s entire arc with Michigan. He excelled with the Wolverines, was a wonder for the fans, yet, he could have been so much more, and would have been in a prior era.

May's success with one-year transfers in the Michigan NIL era

Dusty May is a transfer portal whiz. Four of five starters last year were brought in via the portal, same as the year before that. May has shown time and time again the ability to identify talented players, recruit them to Michigan, and then envelop them in a greater team system and culture — it’s perhaps his defining feature as a head coach. 

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with that approach: it’s essentially mandated by the current NIL structure of college basketball and has wrought abundant successes over May’s first two years with the Wolverines. But there are still downsides to it — brief player tenures a notable one. 

Johnson, alongside fellow national champions Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, were one-year attractions with Michigan. Before them, Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin each only spent a year in Ann Arbor too. The core of the Dusty May Michigan squads have been unfamiliar players entering the season who fans grew to adore across the season only to see them leave immediately after the season. 

It’s an unfamiliar pattern for Michigan fans, accustomed to the Jim Beilein and, to a lesser extent, Juwan Howard days when key players would stay for longer. Zavier Simpson was a four year project. Hunter Dickinson remained on board for three years. 

Feb 1, 2019; Iowa City, IA, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Beilein reacts during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Will Tschetter was the only guy on Michigan’s roster last year to have been in Ann Arbor for four years, and though he may have been the team’s heartbeat and (arguably) most loved player, it was not his offensive nor defensive ability which led Michigan to a championship. 

These days, it seems that fans can’t stay connected to the top talents at Michigan for longer than a year, maybe two. The Dusty May era demands a different variety of fandom, one less centered on following key players for a full college career. Instead, fans have to adapt, focusing on maximizing the short spells players have with the Wolverines and enjoying the variety of the NIL-era, if not the persistence of it.