Mavericks' Lottery Pick Has Been 'Limited' So Far in Training Camp

The Dallas Mavericks used the 9th overall pick of the talented 2026 NBA Draft on Morez Johnson Jr., a forward out of Michigan.

The pick came as a little bit of a surprise, considering that the Mavericks are already overloaded in their frontcourt, but they think he can be the perfect defender for the modern NBA that loves switching.

However, according to new head coach Dusty May, who was also Johnson's coach at Michigan, Johnson has been limited thus far in camp.

“He’s [Johnson] had a little limited time in practice, but he’s working his way back,” May said after a training camp practice. “He’s close.”

Dusty May said Morez Johnson Jr is “working his way back” something.

He added that he was close to returning but did not say what’s wrong.

Johnson has been moving well at practice though and is shooting around. pic.twitter.com/F1V7iLXsGJ
— Ron Harrod Jr. (@RonKnowsSports) September 28, 2026

It's unknown what Johnson is working his way back from, as he was healthy at the end of his campaign at Michigan, and while he did have some soreness in his calf that cost him the last few games at Summer League, that wasn't expected to be anything serious.

The Mavericks are dealing with some injuries in the frontcourt, as Dereck Lively II is still working his way back from foot surgery in December, and Santi Aldama had knee surgery in March that is still nagging him. He has been limited as well, though the Mavericks hope he'll be back soon.

With them out, there will be a lot of reps for Daniel Gafford and Moussa Cisse, as well as veteran Dwight Powell, until Aldama and Johnson return.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Morez Johnson Jr. (14) poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Morez Johnson Jr. Missing Opportunities

These reps would be big for Morez Johnson Jr. to have in training camp, especially as Aldama and Lively deal with injuries. He needs to establish offensive chemistry with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving now if he wants to be part of the primary rotation.

This is also the time to find out if his three-point shot has developed enough to fit in the offense full-time.

Johnson still might be better as a small-ball center early, as he's athletic enough to switch onto the perimeter defensively but isn't a good enough shooter to last as a power forward right away. If they ever need a lineup to go get a stop defensively, then they could have a pretty crazy lineup with Flagg, Johnson, and either Gafford or Lively as the center.

Hopefully, Morez Johnson is back in camp soon, so he can get these reps. While he was a physical player in college, there's nothing quite like practicing against NBA veterans and the physicality of this league.

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