Morez Johnson Jr. pick sparks major Cooper Flagg fit concern for Mavericks

With Morez Johnson Jr. coming into Dallas after being drafted by the Mavs with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, there are definitely some fit concerns in terms of how he'll gel with Cooper Flagg. Johnson Jr. is a bigger-bodied four-man, and Flagg also plays the four, so this doesn't necessarily profile as a natural fit. Johnson Jr. also isn't the most prolific 3-point shooter in the world, so he's not going to come in and be a floor-spacing threat for Dallas.

Ideally, Flagg needs a rim-running center who can also space the floor and knock down shots from outside, but Johnson Jr. doesn't fit that mold. Johnson Jr. is solid as a post-up and face-up threat, but he isn't going to help Flagg and Dallas space the floor whatsoever.

Morez Johnson Jr. isn't a seamless fit with Cooper Flagg

Fellow Michigan product Aday Mara would've been a better fit as far as the type of center Flagg would work best with, but Johnson Jr. is more of a mix of a four and five, so there's a good chance he won't fit the best alongside Flagg. Johnson Jr. is a solid play finisher, but he doesn't profile as an excellent cutter, so he and Flagg could definitely overlap in terms of their position.

Getting a two guard like Brayden Burries would've been more ideal for the Mavericks from a fit perspective, as he would've been able to come in and play in between Flagg and Kyrie Irving, and would've helped Dallas' shooting issues tremendously. However, Dallas opted to go in a different direction here, and Johnson Jr.'s inability to space the floor will be burdensome next season.

Only time will tell how Johnson Jr. fits with Flagg

The Mavericks still have options on the table to address their lack of shooting, whether it be through free agency or a trade, but Johnson Jr. certainly isn't the solution to this problem. Johnson Jr. also overlaps with Flagg defensively, as he's a solid shot-blocker and rebounder who mainly plays the four.

While it isn't terrible to have too many long and athletic wings together on that end, it could become problematic in terms of Dallas' ability to guard the perimeter, which is still a need for them to address. There are far more questions than guarantees in terms of Johnson Jr.'s fit next to Flagg, even though Johnson Jr. isn't an atrocious fit by any means.

Overall, the Mavericks didn't get a terrible fit next to Flagg by selecting Johnson Jr., but they certainly could've done better with some of the other options that were on the board at the time. Just like with any draft, only time will tell how these two mesh on the court, but it's very easy to argue the Mavericks could've gone in a different direction here.

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