Mavericks Drafted Morez Johnson Jr. to Help Cooper Flagg. Will the Pick Pay Off?
The Dallas Mavericks used the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Morez Johnson Jr., a bruising big from Michigan who happens to have spent last season playing for new Dallas head coach Dusty May.
The pick has been criticized as a reach. CBS Sports listed Dallas among the night’s losers, arguing the Mavericks passed on higher-upside prospects like AJ Dybantsa and Darius Acuff. The takes are fair. The decision is also defensible.
Here is the case for Johnson Jr. He is 6-foot-9, 245 pounds. He averaged a double-double for Michigan as a sophomore. He can finish in traffic. He sets the kind of physical screen that opens up looks for shot creators. He is exactly the kind of frontcourt complement Cooper Flagg needs to thrive offensively.
The Mavericks’ bigger plan, according to multiple reports, is to slowly transition Anthony Davis off the roster while pairing Flagg with a younger, cheaper, more system-fit big. Johnson Jr. is not Anthony Davis. He is, however, a player who can survive 20 minutes a night next to Flagg and not hold the offense back.
The fit with Flagg is the real selling point. Flagg’s offensive game thrives off of weak-side rotations and short-roll passes. Johnson Jr. excels at making himself big in the paint, rolling hard, and finishing through contact. The two played pickup games together this spring and reportedly have real chemistry.
The risk is that Johnson Jr. is too one-dimensional. He does not shoot threes. He does not project as a rim protector at the NBA level. His ceiling is a 12-point, 8-rebound starter in a small market. That is fine on a rookie deal. It is not a difference-maker on a contender.
Dusty May spoke to reporters Monday and made it clear the front office considered higher-upside picks. The reason they landed on Johnson Jr. was simple: certainty. May has coached him. May trusts him. The Mavericks need a player who can contribute on Night 1 because their veterans are aging and Flagg cannot carry the floor by himself.
The bigger picture for Dallas is that they will not control their first-round pick again until 2031. The deal that brought in Luka mortgaged most of their picks for the next half-decade. That means every draft choice they make has to be a value bet. Johnson Jr. is a value bet on a known commodity.
Mavericks fans wanted a swing for the fences. Mike Schmitz and his front office instead bunted to put a runner on second base. The math will play out over the next four years.
If Johnson Jr. becomes a starting power forward who can play 30 minutes a night next to Flagg, this pick was a steal. If he tops out as a high-energy backup, the Mavericks blew an opportunity to find a real third star.
Either way, the message is clear. Dallas is building around Cooper Flagg. The roster, the coaching staff, the draft strategy, all of it points in one direction. The next four years will determine whether that bet pays off.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
