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Grading Each Mavericks Draft Pick's NBA Summer League Performance

How did the Mavericks rookies perform in this year's Summer League?
Austin Veazey|
Jun 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Morez Johnson Jr, the Mavericks first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft holds his jersey during an introductory press conference at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Jun 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Morez Johnson Jr, the Mavericks first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft holds his jersey during an introductory press conference at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks wrapped up the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Friday night with a win over the New York Knicks, giving them a 3-2 record for the event.

It was honestly the most enjoyable Mavericks Summer League team we've seen in a long time, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of the Mavs, especially with this rookie class.

Dallas left the 2026 NBA Draft with four draft picks, and all four had standout moments in Vegas. That's rare, and it gives a lot of optimism for what this team could be.

Here is a quick recap of each draft pick in the Summer League.

Morez Johnson Jr., 9th Overall, B

Summer League Stats (2 Games): 18.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.5 SPG, 3.0 BPG, 64% FG, 20% 3PT, 75% FT

Morez Johnson burst onto the Summer League scene with 27 points and 8 rebounds on 12/17 shooting in the opening game. He was a little lackluster in the second game offensively (which we might be able to blame Ryan Nembhard for), but still outstanding defensively.

However, calf soreness limited him to just two games in Las Vegas, and we still haven't figured out if he'll be able to fit offensively in the NBA as a power forward, which is what people wanted to see.

He had an outstanding first game and was great defensively, but the remaining offensive questions and the injury are why this grade isn't higher.

Sergio De Larrea, 25th Overall, B

Summer League Stats (4 Games): 8.0 PPG, 8.8 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 27.3% FG, 20% 3PT, 87.5% FT

This isn't the summer we expected from Sergio De Larrea at all. Many people thought his shooting would be his calling card from day one, but it was his playmaking that really stood out.

Ryan Nembhard was the primary point guard in the first two games, but the offense was much better throughout the summer when De Larrea was operating, as he set the franchise's Summer League record for assists in a game in his third and fourth games with 12 and 14, respectively.

The scoring was rough for De Larrea, which is why this grade isn't higher, but his great free-throw shooting hints at a much better shooter than he was able to display. Mavs fans should be excited about the Spanish guard.

Tobi Lawal, 48th Overall, C

Summer League Stats (5 Games): 5.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.6 APG, 1.2 BPG, 40% FG, 23.1% 3PT, 100% FT

Tobi Lawal was always an elite athlete who still needed to develop everything else about his game. Nothing about his Summer League performance changed that.

His fit in the NBA is still a little questionable. He's a 6'7" forward who can't shoot at this stage of his career, and he has to develop that if he wants to last in the league.

Lawal will have a chance to develop in the G-League, as he's already signed to a two-way contract.

Vsevolod Ishchenko, 56th Overall, A-

Summer League Stats (5 Games): 9.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 43.3% FG, 40% 3PT, 61.1% FT

Vsevolod Ishchenko is just a basketball player. While his grade is higher than everyone else's, that isn't to say he had the best summer of the bunch, but he outperformed his expectations more than the others.

There wasn't anything that Ishchenko didn't do. He defended at a high level, often drawing the other team's best offensive player, including Cam Boozer. He was a good playmaker with a surprisingly effective behind-the-back dribble. He often just found himself around the basketball and rarely stood still. Those are all great traits, and he became more comfortable as the Summer League progressed.

Ishchenko will need to improve his turnovers, as he sometimes just blindly threw a pass into traffic, and his shot was all over the place, but for the 56th overall pick from a small Russian league, the Mavericks have to be pleased. What they decide to do with him will be fascinating.

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Austin Veazey
AUSTIN VEAZEY

Austin Veazey joined NoleGameday as the Lead Basketball Writer in 2019, while contributing as a football writer, and started as editor for MavericksGameday in 2024. Veazey was a Florida State Men’s Basketball Manager from 2016-2019. Follow Austin on Twitter at @EasyVeazeyNG

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