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Three Michigan Wolverines Off The Board Early In First Round Of 2026 NBA Draft
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- Three Michigan Wolverines Off The Board Early In First Round Of 2026 NBA Draft
(© Brad Penner)
The 2026 NBA Draft will officially be remembered as the night the University of Michigan basketball program took over the professional landscape. In a breathtaking span of minutes, three key cornerstones of the Wolverines' recent national championship run heard their names called back-to-back-to-back in the lottery and early first round.
Leading the charge was powerhouse forward/center Morez Johnson Jr. , who was selected 9th overall by the Dallas Mavericks . He was immediately followed by the ultimate Swiss Army knife, Yaxel Lendeborg , who went 11th overall to the Golden State Warriors . Just one pick later, elite Spanish center Aday Mara capped off the historic run by going 12th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder .
This historic draft haul represents a monumental milestone for Michigan as a program, demonstrating an unprecedented ability to develop elite talent and win at the highest level—even as the architect of their success, head coach Dusty May, makes his own high-profile leap to the NBA.
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The Big Three: From National Champions to First-Round Stars
As confirmed in the first-round draft order, Morez Johnson Jr. broke into the top ten when the Dallas Mavericks grabbed him at No. 9. Johnson, who averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds as a sophomore in Ann Arbor, provided the physical interior presence that helped propel the Wolverines to their first national title since 1989.
Right on his heels was Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11. Lendeborg boasts one of the most compelling, hard-fought journeys in college basketball history. Overcoming academic hurdles that kept him off his high school varsity team, Lendeborg climbed through the JUCO ranks and UAB before spending a dominant year under Dusty May at Michigan. Lendeborg filled out the stat sheet in the 2025-2026 season with spectacular versatility:
Rounding out the trio at No. 12 was Aday Mara, whose story of redemption is perfectly. After two forgettable seasons at UCLA where he fell off draft boards, Mara transferred to Michigan and completely revitalized his career. Under May's tutelage, he transformed into one of the best true 5s in the country on his way to winning the national championship. Mara reads the floor like a guard, finishes effectively with both hands, and possesses elite shot-blocking timing, making him a tantalizing piece for the Oklahoma City Thunder's modern frontcourt.
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The Dusty May Twist: The Birth of the "Michigan Mavs"
The draft room drama was further heightened by the stunning backdrop of head coach Dusty May's recent departure. Just hours before the draft commenced, the Dallas Mavericks officially announced May as their new head coach. In a poetic twist of fate, May's first major executive influence in Dallas resulted in the selection of his own collegiate star, Morez Johnson Jr., prompting Johnson to playfully dub the team the "Michigan Mavs".
"He'll be involved because he's a college coach," said Mavericks President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri regarding May's immediate impact on their draft strategy. "He has interaction with his players. We want to know as much information as we can on these players."
While losing a national championship-winning coach to the professional ranks is a bitter pill for any fan base to swallow, Lendeborg's pre-draft praise highlights exactly why Michigan became a powerhouse. Lendeborg noted that May ran Michigan like an NBA franchise, implementing pro-style offenses, heavy perimeter switching, and fast-paced communication keys that perfectly prepared his roster for the next level.
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What It Means for Michigan's Legacy
Though the Dusty May era in Ann Arbor was brief, its lasting impact cannot be overstated. Producing three lottery-adjacent, first-round draft picks in a single evening cements Michigan's reputation as the ultimate launchpad for elite talent.
For future recruits and transfer portal targets, the blueprints of Johnson Jr., Lendeborg and Mara serve as definitive proof: if you come to Michigan, you can rebuild your draft stock, win a national championship ring, and become a first-round NBA draft pick. Even with Mike Boynton stepping in as the interim replacement to guide the program forward, the culture of modern excellence established in Ann Arbor ensures that Michigan Basketball remains firmly on the national map.
