Bleacher Report predicts Mavericks rookie Morez Johnson Jr. will play fewer minutes than any other top-10 pick by a wide margin despite being drafted ninth overall.
DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks drafted Morez Johnson Jr. ninth overall in June.
But in a rather twisted prognostication, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley has picked Johnson as the best new addition to the roster, but then predicted he would play fewer minutes than any other top-10 selection in the class by a wide margin.
Bold. And brutal. All at the same time.
Buckley listed Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II as the returning centers. Ahead of Johnson at forward, he put P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and Santi Aldama, with Cooper Flagg and Zaccharie Risacher as the developmental priorities. Dallas will not completely forget about Johnson, Buckley wrote, but will struggle to give him major minutes, especially if his outside shooting does not dramatically outperform expectations.
The Mavericks went 26-56 last season and finished 12th in the Western Conference.
The day after hiring Dusty May, Dallas took Johnson at Barclays Center on June 23. May, who coached him at Michigan, was the head coach of that season's staff. The Wolverines finished 37-3 and won the championship on April 6. Johnson was named to the Final Four all-tournament team. In 40 games, he averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, earning second-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive honors. As a freshman at Illinois, he received the 2024 Illinois Mr. Basketball award. At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, he turned 20 in January. Most mock drafts projected he would be drafted between 13th and 18th.
General manager Mike Schmitz called Johnson a major win for the organization. The reasoning focused on intangible qualities, implying the front office prioritized selecting the best player available.
"We were thrilled that Morez was there when we were choosing 9, and we think he fits perfectly with what we're trying to do," Schmitz said. "It's not always about position. A lot of it is about mentality and what are you bringing from an intangible standpoint. What are you bringing from a competitiveness standpoint?"
In two Summer League games in Las Vegas, Johnson averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.5 steals, and 3.0 blocks, with a shooting performance of 16-of-25 from the field and 1-of-5 from three. Left calf soreness kept him out of the final three games.
A Mavericks front-office executive, speaking anonymously to Keith Smith of Spotrac and first reported by Mavericks Roundtable, called Johnson an awesome frontcourt partner for Flagg and Lively II. The same executive said landing Sergio de Larrea late in the first round was significant. Dallas traded up from 30 to 25 to take the Spanish guard.
At his introductory press conference, Johnson said he already knows May's offense.
"I think it's great," Johnson said. "I'm already familiar with [May's] offense and the way he wants to play, and I would be kind of like the voice in the locker room to help other guys learn the way he's teaching us."
Accountability is the part Johnson expects will not change from Ann Arbor.
"We're getting a great coach here," Johnson explained. "A guy that's gonna show up every day and be the same person every day. He's gonna be honest with the players, push them, challenge them, and put them in the best positions to look great."
May is the 11th head coach in franchise history and replaced Jason Kidd. Masai Ujiri and Schmitz enter their first full season running basketball operations. Flagg won Rookie of the Year in April with 56 of 100 first-place votes.
Kyrie Irving was out last season due to a left ACL tear in March 2025. Lively II hasn't played since Nov. 21, 2025, and appeared in seven games last season. Before opening night, Dallas needs to reduce its roster from 16 to 15 players.
When using a philosophy of taking the best talent regardless of position, it can take time to sort through those situations. Johnson could find himself in that position unless he makes himself too impactful to deny.
