Mavericks' Morez Johnson Jr. pick just made their biggest flaw even more glaring

The Dallas Mavericks desperately need shooting still, as their decision to select Morez Johnson Jr. with the ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft didn't do them any favors in this department. The ties with this pick are obvious, as Dallas just hired former Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May to be their next head coach, and Johnson Jr. was a part of the Wolverines' National Championship roster last year.

Johnson Jr. is a big-bodied four who has great positional versatility as a defender, but he has leaps and bounds to go in the shooting department. He shot 34.3 percent from outside on just 0.9 attempts per game for the Wolverines last season, and didn't take or make a single 3-pointer in his freshman season at Illinois.

Morez Johnson Jr. doesn't help Dallas' shooting problem whatsoever

Heading into draft night, many fans and media members expected the Mavericks to go after a guard, but Dallas clearly valued the Michigan pipeline and May's insight here, and now they still have a huge need to address this offseason through the MLE or a trade.

Dallas ranked just 26th in the NBA with a team 3-point percentage of 34.4 last season, and Johnson Jr. will not help that figure out, barring some insane offseason transformation. His shot and form are promising, given a free-throw percentage of 78.2 last season at Michigan, but he doesn't project to come in as a floor-spacing wing/big from the jump.

The Mavericks will now need to address their lack of shooting through less guaranteed means, whether it be in a trade or free agency. Brayden Burries, who was picked by Milwaukee right after Dallas' pick, would've been a great step in the right direction to help mend this issue, but the Mavericks clearly opted to go in a different direction.

Johnson Jr. pick raises huge questions to address in Dallas

Johnson Jr. could very well make a huge impact in Dallas, but there are clearly going to be huge question marks from the jump with him coming into Dallas. He doesn't profile as a traditional big man, being only 6-foot-9, but doesn't necessarily have the versatility to be a stretch-four given his current lack of shooting, which raises huge questions about how Dallas will integrate him into their offense.

Johnson Jr. is also similar in a position standpoint to P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, so it would make sense at this point to trade one of those guys, as they'll combine for over $37 million on Dallas' payroll next season.

As has been mentioned on this site countless times, Dallas can't afford to whiff on this pick with not having any control of their future first-round draft capital until 2031 now. The Johnson Jr. selection is questionable for a variety of reasons, but the lack of shooting he brings at first glance is definitely the most glaring question Dallas still has yet to address.

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