DALLAS — Morez Johnson Jr. is playing a lot of 5-on-5 in Dallas Mavericks training camp after lower leg soreness limited him early, Mavericks coach Dusty May said Friday after the sixth practice.
May did not say whether Johnson or Santi Aldama will play when Dallas faces the Houston Rockets in Macao. Johnson played a lot Friday, and he is still ramping back up.
“I know Morez is playing a lot of 5-on-5 now, so he’s obviously much closer,” May said. “… He played a lot today. He’s still dealing with the ramp back up. But most importantly, we want our guys to be healthy, mentally and physically, on game nights.”
Johnson’s week has moved in one direction. On Monday, May said the rookie was working his way back after limited practice time. On Wednesday, May described it as lower leg soreness and said Dallas had Johnson in every other live session to manage his workload. On Thursday, May said Johnson was eager to be cleared full time.
Dusty May On Morez Johnson Jr.’s Ramp Back Up
Dallas took Johnson ninth overall in June, a day after hiring May. Johnson played for May on Michigan’s 2026 national championship team and knows the staff from there.
“Just thinking long term. There’s no reason to take any chances right now, especially him,” May explained. “He’s in an advantageous position because he knows our terminology, our language, our practice habits. He’s the only one. So he technically could probably miss practice and play pickup and be fine as far as being able to function within the group, just because he knows the staff.”
Johnson turned 20 in January. He signed a rookie-scale deal that pays him $6,754,800 this season.
Dallas has been without full participation from three of its bigs. Aldama is returning from an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in March, and Dereck Lively II is recovering from December foot surgery.
Staying healthy on game nights matters more to May than any one practice. He is still learning the NBA’s 82-game grind.
“But that’s the thing that I’m still learning about the NBA, with being an 82-game season,” May said. “More than anything else, the ability to stay ready and not get too low if it’s not going well for you, and not be too high if it is, is a real key attribute to success for what we’re forecasting.”
Daniel Gafford And P.J. Washington On Morez Johnson Jr.
Daniel Gafford has been one of the healthy bigs while Johnson, Aldama, and Lively work back. Johnson came in asking questions, according to Gafford, and picked up with May right where the two left off at Michigan.
“I’ve seen that, I mean, he’s a hard worker, man. He came in, of course he’s asking questions and he’s trying to learn as a player. One of the young guys, he just came in ready to work,” Gafford said. “That’s the main thing that I noticed from him. He has good energy, has his head on his shoulders. He’s very coachable, too. So it’s just like where him and Dusty left off from college, they pretty much just got back to it when they got here, for real, for real.”
Gafford tells the injured bigs to take their time.
“I mean, I just take it as every day is, got to step up, honestly. You know what I’m saying? I’m just, I tell those guys, take your time,” Gafford explained. “Injuries are something that obviously you don’t take lightly, I want to say, because I want everybody to be able to come in and just be able to play as themselves, instead of something to where it’s like you’re getting felt like you’re holding yourself back at some point.”
Johnson is in early every day, P.J. Washington said Thursday. Washington called the rookie strong and willing to learn.
“He’s a dog. I mean, he’s a bully out there. He’s strong. He knows what we want to do each and every possession. He talks on both ends, and he’s willing to learn,” Washington said. “He’s in here every day early trying to get better. And, I mean, you love guys like that, especially when they’re young. You know they’re going to have a bright future.”
Dallas plays the Rockets at The Venetian Arena on Oct. 9, with tip-off at 7 a.m. CT, and again Oct. 11. The Mavericks then host the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 14 and the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 16 before opening the regular season at Houston on Oct. 21.
