The Dallas Mavericks didn’t waste any time making the Dusty May era feel personal. Hours after introducing May as their new head coach, the Mavericks used the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., handing May a familiar face and giving Cooper Flagg another rugged frontcourt partner.

That’s not just a draft pick. That’s a statement.

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Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward who helped power Michigan to a national championship last season, now walks into Dallas with instant credibility, a built-in connection to the coaching staff and a role that could matter right away. He started 40 games for the Wolverines and averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds as a sophomore after transferring from Illinois, but the numbers only tell part of the story.

This is a player who made his name by doing the hard stuff. Defense. Rebounding. Physicality. Winning possessions that don’t always make highlight reels but absolutely decide playoff games.

And for a Mavericks team trying to build around Flagg, that matters.

Johnson’s rise up the draft board was one of the more interesting late pushes of the process. For much of the spring, he was viewed as more of a late first-round option. Then the buzz got louder. The workouts mattered. The interviews mattered. The fit started to make sense. By draft night, Dallas clearly saw enough to take him in the top 10.

Now the Mavericks have paired Flagg with a Michigan-tested forward who already knows May’s system, standards and expectations. That should speed up Johnson’s learning curve in a league where rookies usually spend months just trying to figure out where they’re supposed to stand.

Johnson made it clear he didn’t see the reunion coming, but he didn’t hide his excitement either. After winning a national title with May at Michigan, the idea of chasing another championship together in Dallas gives this pick a little extra juice.

It also gives the Mavericks a clear identity shift.

This isn’t Dallas chasing empty flash. This is Dallas betting on toughness, size, defense and a player who’s already proven he can survive big moments. Johnson isn’t being drafted to be a cute development project. He’s coming in as a tone-setter.

The Michigan takeover didn’t stop there, either.

Two picks after Johnson landed with Dallas, Yaxel Lendeborg went No. 11 to the Golden State Warriors. The 6-foot-9 forward became one of college basketball’s best stories, rising from the junior college level to UAB and then Michigan, where he turned into a consensus All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year. Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists, showing the kind of versatility NBA teams crave.

His journey wasn’t clean or easy, which is exactly why it hit so hard on draft night. Lendeborg didn’t take the polished five-star route. He fought his way into the lottery, and Golden State clearly bought into the player and the person.

Then came Aday Mara at No. 12 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, making it three Michigan players in four picks.

Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Spain, transferred from UCLA to Michigan and became one of the most intriguing big men in the country. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks while earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. His size is obvious, but his touch, timing and feel are what made him a lottery pick.

For Michigan, this was a monster night. The reigning national champions didn’t just put players in the NBA. They flooded the lottery. Johnson, Lendeborg and Mara made Michigan only the third defending champion since the lottery began in 1985 to produce three lottery selections.

That’s a recruiting billboard. That’s a program flex. That’s Dusty May’s fingerprints all over draft night.

Dallas wasn’t finished, either. The Mavericks wrapped up the first round by taking Arizona forward Koa Peat with the No. 30 pick, adding another big, physical frontcourt piece to a roster that’s clearly being rebuilt with length and edge in mind.

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But make no mistake: Johnson is the headline.

The Mavericks hired Dusty May, then immediately handed him one of his championship guys. In a league where fit can be just as important as talent, Dallas found both. Johnson knows May. May knows Johnson. And Flagg now has a running mate who won’t back down from anyone.

The Mavericks didn’t just draft a player at No. 9.

They drafted a tone.