Michigan’s 2026 NBA Summer League presence is loaded with familiar faces, and the Wolverines will send five former players into their first pro action this month.
That group comes after Michigan had three players chosen in the NBA Draft lottery for the first time in school history, a milestone that put the program squarely in the spotlight. Now those former Wolverines are headed to the league’s annual summer stage, where each will try to turn college success into a foothold at the next level.
Morez Johnson Jr. is the headliner in Dallas after going ninth overall to the Mavericks. He also gets a reunion with former Michigan coach Dusty May, who left Ann Arbor to take over in Dallas.
Johnson put together a strong season for Michigan, averaging 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 62.3 percent from the field as the Wolverines won the national championship. His next step is simple: make an impression in Summer League and work toward earning a place in the rookie rotation.
Debut: Thursday, July 9 at 7 p.m. on ESPN
Yaxel Lendeborg is headed to Golden State after the Warriors took him with the 11th pick. That landing spot gives him a chance to share the stage with Stephen Curry, and it comes after a huge final college season in which he led Michigan with 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Lendeborg also claimed Big Ten Player of the Year honors and played a major role in the Wolverines’ title run. His game has the kind of versatility that should translate quickly, and he’ll get to show it off in both San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Aday Mara went 12th overall to the Thunder, and the fit looks straightforward: a championship contender getting a 7-foot-3 big man who can protect the rim and add depth up front. Mara set a program record with 103 blocks in his lone season in Ann Arbor, and Oklahoma City will use Summer League to get a first look at that rare defensive profile.
Nimari Burnett didn’t hear his name called in the draft, but he still landed a path into the summer showcase by signing an Exhibit-10 contract with the Raptors. The one-year, non-guaranteed deal puts him in Toronto’s Summer League plans, where he’ll try to build on the 38.4 percent he shot from three at Michigan. Burnett may be headed toward the G-League next season, but a strong summer could push him into training camp consideration.
Roddy Gayle Jr. will stay close to home with a Summer League contract from the Pistons. Known to Michigan fans and teammates as “March Roddy,” Gayle was a key piece of the Wolverines’ national championship run, averaging nine points per game in the NCAA Tournament. His perimeter defense and scoring ability give him a real chance to stand out in Las Vegas, and if he does, a training camp invite could be waiting.
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