Mavericks just assembled a freakish duo of rookie athletes with Tobi Lawal pick

The Dallas Mavericks selected Morez Johnson Jr., one of the best big-man athletes of the entire NBA Draft, with the No. 9 pick on Tuesday night. Just over 24 hours later, Dallas picked Tobi Lawal with the No. 48 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Tobi Lawal is a top-tier athlete

The first thing that Mavericks fans need to know about the 6-foot-8 former Virginia Tech Hokie is that he's an incredible athlete, and the NBA Draft Combine proved this.

Lawal posted a 45.5-inch maximum vertical jump and a 40-inch standing vertical leap in Chicago last month. Both measurements ranked first among his peers this year, and his maximum vertical jump is tied for the second-highest of all time.

Dallas got a freak athlete with the 18th pick of the second round, and their frontcourt rookie duo is hard to ignore when thinking about what they can do defensively together. The Mavericks are kicking off the Dusty May era by pairing Johnson Jr. and Lawal with Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II in the frontcourt, and Masai Ujiri's fondness for lengthy forwards with defensive versatility couldn't be clearer following Dallas' picks.

Johnson Jr. is among the best frontcourt defenders in the draft, as he has elite versatility, quickness, and physicality. He is immovable inside, and even if a player tries to back him down, he's an energetic rim protector with a powerful second jump and a high motor. Johnson Jr. switches well on the perimeter as well, and his athleticism helps him significantly on the defensive end.

Lawal's defensive upside is impossible to ignore

The same can be said about Tobi Lawal.

He averaged 1.1 blocks per game as a senior at Virginia Tech, and his effort on that end, combined with his physical tools and help-side rim protection, gives him real potential to become a lockdown perimeter defender. Lawal has drawn some comparisons to former Maverick Derrick Jones Jr., and MFFLs would be thrilled if he can reach this level.

Jones Jr. played a key role in Dallas' run to the 2024 NBA Finals due to his defense, play in transition, and versatility, and every NBA team needs a player like DJJ.

Standing at 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-10.5 wingspan, he profiles as someone who can grow into being an incredible defender at the next level. If Lawal's consistency and off-ball instincts can improve, he's going to be even better on that end. He already has the switchability to defend multiple positions; he just needs to put it all together.

Time in the NBA will help him here.

Offensively, the 6-foot-8 forward utilizes his athleticism to finish above the rim, and he's a good lob threat and transition player. Lawal throws down powerful slams often, and while his game is still raw, his developmental arc is intriguing.

The Mavericks just keep getting more athletic at the 2026 NBA Draft, and if one thing is for sure, it's that the new era of this team is going to defend, run in transition, and finish above the rim.

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