Less than six hours after Dallas announced Dusty May as head coach, the Mavericks used the No. 9 slot to select Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. The 6‑foot‑9 sophomore, a national‑championship starter who averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, reunites with May, the coach who recruited him to Michigan. Johnson’s stock rose late in the pre‑draft process, turning a potential late first‑rounder into a lottery pick.

Two spots later Golden State grabbed Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11. The 6‑foot‑9 forward, Big Ten Player of the Year, posted 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his final college season after a circuitous path through junior college and UAB. May’s decision to shift him from center to small forward proved decisive, elevating Lendeborg to a true lottery selection.

The Thunder completed the Michigan trio by taking 7‑foot‑3 Spaniard Aday Mara with No. 12. Mara, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks after transferring from UCLA. Michigan joins only two other reigning champions with three lottery picks since 1985, underscoring the program’s recent talent surge and giving Dallas a front‑court core familiar with May’s system.