Mavericks’ Defensive Anchor Faces Offense Puzzle

Dallas Mavericks shock the NBA by drafting Morez Johnson Jr. ninth overall — a defensive savant and versatile frontcourt player from Michigan, picked by his former coach Dusty May. Johnson’s elite defense and ability to guard multiple positions are huge assets, but his limited three-point shooting raises serious questions about fit alongside bigs like Lively II and Gafford. May believes he can develop into a spot-up shooter, but the Mavericks now face a tough roster puzzle: they may need to trade one of their existing bigs to make room for Johnson as a small-ball center — a move that could reshape their future. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b1366370f71644ef