DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks hosted an official Mavs Draft Watch Party at The Echo Lounge on Tuesday evening to celebrate their newest draftees.
At the event, the MavsTV crew, consisting of Mark Followill, Dana Larson, Devin Harris, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Brian Demaris, and Chuck Cooperstein, broadcast The MavsTV Draft Show. Throughout the night, fans were treated to the Mavericks’ entertainment teams, giveaways and meet-and-greet sessions with former players Rolando Blackman, Josh Howard and Erick Strickland.
The Dallas Mavericks select Morez Johnson Jr.
When Dallas selected Morez Johnson Jr. with the ninth pick, the building exploded in applause.
“Shoutout Mavs fans,” Johnson Jr. said in an interview with MavsTV after he was taken. “I’m very blessed for the opportunity, can’t wait to get there and get to work.”
Johnson was something of a surprise pick. Although he was projected to come off the board in the lottery, most mock drafts had the Mavericks taking one of Brayden Burries or Nate Ament.
Paired with reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, Johnson Jr. looks to be one half of a formidable defensive duo for years to come. In college, Johnson Jr. was hailed for his work on that end of the floor. He showed the ability to guard up against larger centers and was more than capable of switching onto smaller players.
On top of his defense, Johnson Jr. is a tremendous rebounder. He’s tenacious on the boards and would’ve been a serious threat to lead the nation in rebounds had he not been sharing a frontcourt with Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara at Michigan.
What vaulted Johnson Jr. up the lottery was the shooting upside he showcased in pre-draft workouts. A virtual non-shooter in college, Johnson Jr. impressed enough to convince teams that he can develop a reliable jumper in the NBA.
Morez Johnson Jr.’s Relationship with Dusty May
Speaking of Michigan, this selection paired Johnson Jr. with his coach from last season on the national-champion Wolverines. Shortly after Dallas hired Dusty May as its head coach of the future on Tuesday, rumors began to swirl regarding whether or not that might indicate the Mavericks could be targeting one of Michigan’s prospects.
They couldn’t have gone wrong with any of the three going in the lottery. After Johnson Jr. came off the board at nine, the Golden State Warriors selected Lendeborg at 11, and the Oklahoma City Thunder picked Mara at 12.
With that trio, it’s easy to see how the Wolverines conquered the NCAA Tournament.
“Dusty’s the best coach I’ve ever played for, man,” said Johnson Jr. “Dusty shows up every day the same guy. He’s amazing. He puts the team first. He coaches you hard.”
The synergy is already there between player and coach. Now we wait to see how Johnson Jr. will connect with his teammates on the floor.
Dallas Mavericks Trade Up For Sergio De Larrea
Dallas wrapped up the first round using the 30th pick to select Koa Peat before flipping his rights to the New York Knicks for Sergio De Larrea, the 25th pick. In addition to Peat, the Mavericks attached two future second-rounders. The Knicks then sent Peat to the Phoenix Suns for an additional three second-round picks and cash considerations.
At 6-foot-6, De Larrea is a jumbo playmaking guard. He plays at his own pace, using his size to make reads and find open teammates. De Larrea can also play off the ball, using his jumper to threaten defenses even when the ball isn’t in his hands. Last season with Valencia of Liga ACB, he connected on 40.7% of his triples.
He’ll need to muscle up, particularly to improve his strength defensively and finishing at the rim. He uses his feel for the game to be in the right place on defense, so adding some mass should help him in that department.
De Larrea will likely be a draft-and-stash player, his contract with Valencia running through the 2027-28 season. In the time before he makes his debut with Dallas, the Mavericks will hope he continues to produce with a larger workload.
Dallas will pick again in the second round tomorrow with the 48th selection. Coverage starts at 7 p.m. on Wednesday on ESPN.
