2026-27 projection
| GP | MPG | FG% (FGA) | FT% (FTA) | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 17 | .570 (6.2) | .730 (2.0) | 0.3 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
At Michigan, the No. 9 pick averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 25.1 minutes. In two Las Vegas games he produced 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 2.5 steals in 30.3 minutes before illness ended his tournament.
Fantasy translation
- Nine-category: late flier or early waiver watch for rebounds/blocks, best in punt-FT. His likely low usage and uncertain three limit the opening median.
- Points: rookie stash with a clean upside path if Lively remains delayed or Gafford/Washington is traded.
- Dynasty: strong young-big target; approximately top-75–100 overall depending on league depth and center scarcity. Flagg age alignment and defensive earning power are positives.
Role, floor, ceiling, uncertainty
- Median role: 17-minute reserve four/five, with more center minutes while Lively is out.
- Floor: 10–12 MPG, foul trouble, spacing problems, and G League assignments despite a standard rookie contract.
- Ceiling: 24 MPG with 10/8 and 1.5+ blocks if he forces a veteran out of the rotation.
- Health: the July illness was expected to clear by camp. It is not treated as a season concern.
- Sample warning: the two Summer League games are descriptive. They are far too small and low-level to establish NBA steal/block rates.
Sources
- Mavericks select Morez Johnson Jr. ninth — official release, June 23, 2026.
- Mavericks announce Johnson's rookie-scale signing — July 2, 2026 report of Dallas's official announcement.
- Morez Johnson Jr. NBA draft profile — official college baseline; accessed July 18, 2026.
- Dallas Summer League defense report — July 12, 2026.
- Morez Johnson player updates — July 14 illness and two-game lines; accessed July 18, 2026.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Two NCAA seasons. He was Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2024 out of Thornton Township, a four-star recruit with AP Class 4A first-team All-State honors as a junior, and went to Illinois. As a freshman (2024-25) he was a low-usage energy big: 30 games, 8 starts, 17.6 minutes, 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.4 steals, 1.1 blocks on .642 from the field and .618 at the line. He transferred to Michigan for his sophomore year and started all 40 games on the Wolverines' national-championship team: 25.1 minutes, 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.1 blocks on .623 from the field, .343 from three on only 35 attempts, and .782 at the line. Internationally he has two Team USA golds, the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup and the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. He declared after a well-received combine. Draft: 2026, first round, 9th overall, Dallas Mavericks, June 23, 2026; not traded on draft night. Dallas had just hired Dusty May, his Michigan head coach, which is relevant context for the pick.
Johnson has no NBA regular-season record yet. He has not appeared in an NBA game, so no career table is given.
Summer League 2026 (Las Vegas, Mavericks): two games before illness ended his tournament, and both were loud. Against Golden State he had 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Against the Lakers he had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals in 28 minutes. The two-game totals are 37 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 steals and 3 assists — 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.5 steals per game in 30.3 minutes. He then sat out at least two games, against Memphis and Oklahoma City, with an illness described as day-to-day. Two games is not a rate; it is a demonstration that the defensive tools show up immediately against NBA-adjacent competition.
Fantasy history: None. He has never played a fantasy-relevant NBA game, so there is no year-by-year nine-category record to report. Any 2026-27 rank is a projection, not history.
Durability: No NBA history. The college record is one meaningful injury: he broke his wrist on February 15, 2025 against Michigan State and missed the rest of the Illinois regular season, which is what held his freshman year to 30 games. He then started all 40 games for Michigan the following season with no reported absence, which is the more relevant recent data point. The Summer League illness in July 2026 was reported as day-to-day and is not a structural concern.
Trajectory: The two-season college arc is a clean, fast development curve rather than a one-year fluke. From Illinois to Michigan his minutes went from 17.6 to 25.1 and his scoring nearly doubled from 7.0 to 13.1 while field-goal percentage stayed above .620 — meaning the added volume came from more finishing chances at the same elite efficiency, not from a worse shot diet. The genuinely important number is the free-throw jump from .618 to .782 in one year, which is the strongest single indicator that his touch is real and, notably, argues against treating him as a punt-FT-only asset the way most rim-running rookie bigs are. The three-point sample of 35 attempts at .343 is too small to project either way, so his floor spacing remains the open question that determines whether he can share the floor with Gafford or Lively rather than replacing them. He turns 21 in January 2027, so 2026-27 is a development year by definition; the realistic read is a 15-20 minute reserve big whose rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage are immediately usable in deep leagues, with the Dusty May connection and the frontcourt's injury history as the two most plausible paths to more.
Career sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com draft profile, Yahoo Sports: Johnson dominates in Summer League debut, CBS Sports: Johnson sits out with illness, Yahoo Sports: Johnson to remain in 2026 draft after combine
Open questions
- Is Johnson a four, a five, or matchup-dependent in May's first rotation?
- Can opponents respect his jumper enough to pair him with a center?
- Does Dallas trade a veteran to guarantee development minutes?