Mavericks pass on instant fix to their shooting disaster in Morez Johnson Jr. pick

The Dallas Mavericks made the first shocking move of the 2026 NBA Draft by selecting Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. with their ninth overall pick. Not only did the Mavericks miss out on offensive versatility by drafting the 6-foot-9 big man, but by passing on Arizona guard Brayden Burries, the team's biggest hole remains shooting from behind the 3-point line.

Someone like Burries had the potential to fix that issue.

Brayden Burries was who Dallas needed

For months now, many fans expected the Mavericks to target Burries if they kept their ninth pick, given how well he can play on and off the ball on the offensive end and his upside defensively at the point of attack. Picking Johnson Jr. gives the Mavericks plenty of upside on defense, but his offense remains a major question mark.

Despite an explosive rookie season from Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks finished with 26 wins and 56 losses, ultimately landing them the ninth overall pick in this year's draft. Many fans expected the Mavericks to land Burries after he was linked to the team for weeks. He would've not only filled a gaping hole at the guard position but also instantly become one of the team's best shooters.

Burries can knock down threes off the dribble and catch, and floor spacing would've been far less of an issue in Dallas. Teams can't afford to leave him open, allowing teammates to have more open driving lanes.

Now, after selecting Johnson Jr., the Mavericks get better on the defensive side of the ball, but may have missed on one of the best guards of the draft. His 39.1 percent shooting from three in college was an impressive statistic, and he projects to be a good shooter in the NBA as well.

Missing on Burries could not only mean that the Mavericks will suffer on the offensive end again, even with a healthy Kyrie Irving, but they chose not to pair Flagg with a young guard early in the draft.

Burries would have been a home-run selection to pair with Flagg

While it is way too early to call any draft pick a hit or a miss, it's hard not to see how good a pairing Burries and Flagg would have been on the floor together. It would have been hard to see Burries playing a huge role on night one, given that Irving is now healthy, but someone with as much shooting as Burries has would be an awesome pairing alongside Flagg.

The Mavericks finished 28th in overall three-point percentage in the league and 22nd in offensive efficiency last season, which is why Burries would have made perfect sense at nine. To put it simply, Dallas' shooting was a disaster last season. They didn't take or make enough threes, and it brought their entire offense down. Burries was the fix they needed.

Johnson Jr. still has plenty of potential to build a reliable jump shot at the pro level, but it will take some time.

Moving forward, the Mavericks either need to use their 30th overall pick to draft a guard or hope that free agency can bring some answers to Dallas' continuing questionable offense.

Floor spacing and playmaking should be some of the biggest needs for the Mavericks after hiring Dusty May to be the team's head coach. Johnson Jr. will be a fun piece to watch develop and potentially become a long-term player in Dallas, but it's currently hard to see where the Mavericks will pass on more offense, given how bad they were last season.

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