Ranking Mavericks' top 3 potential Michigan draft targets after Dusty May hire

The 2026 NBA Draft has finally arrived, and the Dallas Mavericks, one day after their splashy hire of Michigan's coach Dusty May, hold the No. 9 overall pick in the first round. Given their new coach's history last season with the Michigan Wolverines, it wouldn't shock anyone for the Mavericks to take one of the three players from that championship team that is expected to go in the lottery — Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Morez Johnson Jr. Here's a ranking of all 3 in regards to fit in Dallas.

Any of these three players would make sense for Dallas as they look to build around Cooper Flagg, but the player who makes the least sense may just be their 7-foot-3 big man who took college basketball by storm last season.

3. Aday Mara: a 7-foot-3 paint beast that Dallas doesn't need right now

Aday Mara, while actually being the highest projected lottery pick of the three in the draft, lands at third on this list of whom Dallas should target. The Mavericks would benefit from any one of these three prospects; however, given their current roster construction, Mara wouldn't be the most ideal fit for Dallas. They already have two starting-caliber big men in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

Standing at 7-foot-3 barefoot, Mara is an elite rim protector, and that should translate to the NBA as well. His size, defense, passing ability, and soft touch around the basket were essential for Michigan to win the National Championship this past season. However, the Mavericks already have a similar player on their roster in Lively II. While the injuries are concerning, Lively II should be given one more season to prove he can stay on the court, which is why Mara wouldn't be the ideal pick at nine.

2. Yaxel Lendeborg: an exciting wing who mirrors a current Maverick

Second on the list of best potential Michigan fits on the Mavericks in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is forward Yaxel Lendeborg. Lendeborg led the Wolverines in scoring this past season, averaging 15.1 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc, and he already wants to reunite with his former coach.

Lendeborg is widely considered the best all-around prospect from Michigan, with his scoring, shooting, and defense. Yaxel would be another great player for the Mavericks to add, but similar to Mara, the Mavericks have a very similar player on their roster right now with P.J. Washington. There are plenty of trade rumors surrounding Washington, though, and selecting Lendeborg in the draft would almost certainly mean a trade is coming for P.J.

Yaxel Lendeborg could plug into that P.J. Washington role seamlessly. However, we saw last season that P.J. and Cooper Flagg weren't the best fit on the court together, and bringing in a similar type of player would likely cause similar issues. Also, it's hard to ignore that Lendeborg will be 24 years old when the NBA season starts. With the Mavs heading towards a youth movement, Lendeborg doesn't fit perfectly with that timeline.

1. Morez Johnson Jr.: the Swiss army knife built to play with Cooper Flagg

The best potential fit for the Mavericks, among the three Michigan Wolverines in the first round, is easily Morez Johnson Jr. While Johnson Jr. wasn't the leading scorer on the team or the flashiest player, he was the most versatile and impactful defender on Michigan, and that makes him a terrific fit next to Cooper Flagg.

Morez Johnson Jr. averaged 13.1 points per game and led the Wolverines in rebounding with 7.3 a game. The fact that he averaged more rebounds than Mara and was still the second-leading scorer on the team shows how versatile a player he really is. His impact on the glass both defensively and offensively is something the Mavericks desperately need.

Johnson Jr. is a player who won't demand the ball on offense, won't take away shots from the scorers, and probably won't have games where he's scoring 30+ points. But he's a player who can guard opposing teams' best players, defend one through five, and do all of the dirty work every great team needs. All of these things, along with the fact that he's the youngest of the three Michigan prospects, highlight why Morez Johnson Jr. would be the best fit for the Mavericks.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow