Morez Johnson Jr. didn’t need long to make a strong first impression in Dallas.
The Mavericks rookie has already drawn glowing feedback from teammates after flashing the kind of two-way impact that can make a young big man stick. Ryan Nembhard, who was with the club in Las Vegas during Summer League, didn’t hold back.
“I love him already,” Nembhard said. “He plays so hard on both ends and impacts the game somehow, whether his shot is falling or not. Rebounds, blocked shots, switching 1 through 5, he had some really good floor game getting us into our next actions.
"I loved watching him last year at Michigan, and it’s been great playing with him today.”
Nembhard is no longer in Dallas after being dealt over the weekend in a three-team trade that sends Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks, brings former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks and sends Nembhard to Atlanta. But his point about Johnson still stands.
Johnson’s Summer League line backed up the buzz. In two games before he sat with a calf issue, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, three blocks and shot 64 percent from the field. His opening-game outburst was the headline grabber: 27 points and eight rebounds on 12 of 17 shooting.
Still, the conversation around Johnson has gone beyond the box score. The 6-10, 250-pound forward has earned praise for the details - the rim protection, the switching, the way he keeps possessions alive and helps the offense flow into its next action.
That matters for Dallas, even with the usual rookie adjustment period ahead. Johnson was the No. 9 overall pick in the recent NBA Draft, and first-year head coach May knows him from their time together with the Wolverines.
Nembhard’s mention of watching Johnson “last year at Michigan” points back to the Wolverines’ national championship run in April, where Johnson’s college production also came with the kind of all-around value that doesn’t always show up in a tidy stat line.
For a Mavericks team led by young sensation Cooper Flagg and all-timer point guard Kyrie Irving, there should be room for a rookie who “gets it'' and can earn real minutes. If Johnson can turn that Summer League promise into a season-long role, Dallas may have something worth building on.
In Other News...
Mavericks Suddenly Have A Troubling Question About Their Wing Defense
Caleb Martin arrived in Dallas with the kind of reputation that usually buys a player a clear role: tough, versatile and reliable on the defensive end. The Mavericks traded Quentin Grimes for him at the 2025 deadline, and on paper Martin still looks like the sort of wing every contender needs, especially when the game tightens and every possession matters.
The problem is that Dallas does not have much room to spare on the wing, and Martins path to steady minutes may depend on doing more than guarding the other teams best perimeter threat. He is set to make $10 million next season and is under contract through 2028, so the Mavericks have every reason to want the fit to work, but the offense will have to hold up if he is going to carve out the kind of role his defense suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Fans Have One Big Concern About Zaccharie Risacher's Fit
Zaccharie Risacher arrives in Dallas with the kind of long-wing profile that usually draws interest from teams trying to build a modern, versatile offense. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is still early in his career, and the Mavericks do have time to let his game breathe, with two years left on his rookie deal and a roster that is clearly being reshaped around youth and upside.
The question is whether this is the best environment for that development right now. Dallas has been operating in the bottom quarter of several key offensive categories, and a playmaker who thrives when a floor general can find him in the right spots may not always get that clean of a runway here. Kyrie Irvings return, Cooper Flaggs presence and the broader roster turnover could change the picture quickly, but for the moment the fit is still one of the more interesting issues hanging over the Mavericks youth movement. [Read more 🡒]