Johnson reunites with May, goes No. 9 to Mavs
Key takeaways
- Less than six hours after the Dallas Mavericks officially announced Dusty May as their new head coach Tuesday, they drafted one of May's former players with their first pick of the NBA draft.
- The Mavericks picked Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick, with Johnson reuniting with May and somewhat surprisingly becoming the first of three Wolverines players off the board in the lottery.
- Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward, started 40 games and helped lead Michigan to the national championship last season.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Less than six hours after the Dallas Mavericks officially announced Dusty May as their new head coach Tuesday, they drafted one of May's former players with their first pick of the NBA draft.
The Mavericks picked Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick, with Johnson reuniting with May and somewhat surprisingly becoming the first of three Wolverines players off the board in the lottery. Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara were selected at No. 11 and No. 12, respectively.
Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward, started 40 games and helped lead Michigan to the national championship last season. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds as a sophomore after transferring from Illinois while also establishing himself as one of the linchpins of Michigan's dominant defense.