Dallas Mavericks
Four Picks, One Real Bet: Inside the Mavericks’ Draft Night
Dallas walked out of the 2026 draft with more new players than almost any team in the league — one lottery pick and three more acquired across two nights. Here’s who to watch.
Morez Johnson Jr., F — No. 9 overall, Michigan
The player. Johnson was part of a historic night for Michigan, which had three players taken in the lottery for the first time in school history — Johnson at 9, Yaxel Lendeborg to Golden State at 11, and Aday Mara to Oklahoma City at 12.
The hook. Johnson reconnects with Dusty May in Dallas, which is the detail that makes this pick more than a name on a board. A rookie arriving in a system run by a coach who already knows how to use him is the closest thing to a head start that exists in this league.
Playing time projection. Rotation from opening night. The familiarity should compress the usual adjustment period, and Dallas has minutes available in the frontcourt.
Sergio de Larrea, F — No. 25, Spain
Acquired via New York after the Knicks traded back. De Larrea is the international project of the group — the kind of pick that either becomes a rotation player in year two or spends the season developing out of sight.
Playing time projection. Limited. Watch whether Dallas keeps him stateside or lets him continue developing abroad.
Tobi Lawal, F — No. 48, Virginia Tech
A second-round forward with a straightforward path: earn a roster spot through camp, contribute on defense, and take the minutes that open up through injury.
Playing time projection. Fringe roster, with two-way potential.
Vsevolod Ishchenko, G — No. 56, Russia
Reportedly acquired via the Lakers after Chicago’s original pick moved through several hands. The deepest of Dallas’ developmental swings.
Playing time projection. Long-term project.
Who else matters
AJ Dybantsa, F — Washington Wizards (No. 1). The headliner of the class, and by most reads its highest ceiling. He tied the record for a No. 1 pick with 27 points in his Summer League debut, creating most of them off the dribble. He projects as a 20-point scorer from opening night.
Darryn Peterson, G — Utah Jazz (No. 2). Several evaluators preferred him to Dybantsa, and an ESPN panel picked him as the rookie with the fastest route to superstardom. He averaged 20.7 points and four assists in five Summer League games and landed somewhere that doesn’t require him to carry the offense — Utah has Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Keyonte George.
Cameron Boozer, F — Memphis Grizzlies (No. 3). A Southwest Division rival, which means Dallas sees him four times a year for the foreseeable future. Boozer is the class’s most well-rounded forward, the most ready to help immediately, and the early Rookie of the Year favorite.
What the volume means
Four picks in one draft, three of them after No. 24, is a specific strategy: buy lottery tickets in bulk and see which one hits. The Mavericks’ actual bet is Johnson at No. 9 and the Dusty May connection. Everything after that is optionality.
Where this lands
Johnson is the pick that matters, and the May connection is the reason to expect him to contribute sooner than a No. 9 pick typically does.
Beyond that, the Mavericks’ draft was about accumulating chances rather than making a single big bet — a reasonable approach in a class this deep, and one that will be judged in 2028 rather than this April.
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