Dallas Mavericks Rookie Morez Johnson Predicted to Become a 'Monster'

The Dallas Mavericks selected Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. with the 9th overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, despite more pressing needs in the backcourt.

Questions about his fit alongside Cooper Flagg were immediately raised, as Johnson isn't a great three-point shooter as a hybrid power forward/center.

Johnson's first Summer League game quieted a lot of the noise. Spending most of the game at center, he finished with a dominant 27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks on 12/17 shooting in a losing effort to the Golden State Warriors. He didn't shoot well from three, but no one from the Mavs did.

This first game was a matchup against his former Michigan teammate, Yaxel Lendeborg, who also had an impressive debut: 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.

What an NBA Summer League debut by the No. 9 overall pick, Morez Johnson Jr. 🔥

27 PTS (game-high)
12-17 FGM
8 REB
3 STL
2 BLK pic.twitter.com/SWiAf2NHcL
— NBA (@NBA) July 10, 2026

Afterwards, Lendeborg had a lot of high praise for his national champion teammate.

“I tried to big boy him, never worked," Lendeborg said. "...He’s relentless. It seems like he never gets tired. He’s just a strong human being. It’s just ridiculous. He’s going to be a monster in a few years. Maybe this year.”

The two went at each other a few times in the game, as Lendeborg wanted to send a message to the first Michigan player drafted, something Johnson was ready for.

“I was expecting him to come at me, of course,” Johnson said. “We compete all the time. Compete in practice. Compete off the court. We have little challenges and stuff like that. I was expecting that.”

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) celebrates a 3-pointer against Wisconsin with guard Elliot Cadeau (3) and forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) during the second half of Big Ten Tournament semifinal at United Center in Chicago on Saturday, March 14, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Morez Johnson's Fit With Mavericks Becoming Clearer

Morez Johnson spent most of his first Summer League game playing center, and while there are a few more games in this circuit to experiment, that seems to be where he'll the best initially.

Dallas already has two centers it likes, but Daniel Gafford has been in consistent trade rumors for over a year now, and Dereck Lively II has yet to show he can stay healthy. With Lively also entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Mavs had to think about the future of their frontcourt.

Johnson is probably a little too small to consistently play center, and his ability to put the ball on the floor can have him play power forward in certain lineups, but he's going to be a better fit down low initially.

The Mavericks' second Summer League will be on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers at 9 p.m. CST.

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