Michigan didn’t just lose its head coach to the NBA this week. The program also sent three players into the first round of the 2026 draft — and that combination hasn’t happened often.
Less than 24 hours after Dusty May accepted the Dallas Mavericks job, three of his former Wolverines heard their names called on draft night. Morez Johnson Jr. went ninth overall to Dallas. Yaxel Lendeborg went 11th to Golden State. Aday Mara went 12th to Oklahoma City.
That makes Michigan only the third reigning national champion in the modern lottery era (since 1985) to produce three first-round picks. The list is short: the 2012 Kentucky Wildcats and the 2015 Duke Blue Devils are the other two.
The irony of May passing on his own guy
Here’s where it gets weird. Lendeborg was Michigan’s leading scorer and most versatile weapon — a 6-foot-9 forward who could score in the post and defend multiple positions. Most analysts had him as the best pro prospect on the roster. But May, now sitting in the Dallas front office, used the ninth pick on Johnson Jr. instead.
College basketball insider Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports called it out in real time.
“This feels a little high to me,” he said during the broadcast.
Johnson Jr. is a raw but athletic big man who transferred from Illinois. He averaged 14 points and 9 rebounds for Michigan this season. But he wasn’t the focal point of the offense. Lendeborg was. Fans online immediately questioned whether May let his personal connection to Johnson — who committed to Michigan under May’s staff — influence the pick.
The Mavericks haven’t commented on the decision. But the subtext is hard to ignore.
How the roster was built
May didn’t inherit a championship roster. He built it through the transfer portal and some shrewd recruiting. Lendeborg came from UAB. Mara transferred from UCLA. Johnson left a Big Ten rival to join the Wolverines. All three became starters on a team that cut down the nets for the first time since 1989.
That’s the part that shouldn’t get buried. May turned a program around in two years, won a title, and then immediately jumped to the NBA. The draft class is his parting gift — and it’s a historic one.
What each player brings to his new team
Johnson Jr. will share a frontcourt with Cooper Flagg, last year’s No. 1 overall pick. Dallas is clearly trying to build a young, long, defensive-minded core around Luka Doncic. Johnson fits that mold even if he’s still developing offensively.
Lendeborg lands in Golden State, where he’ll play alongside Draymond Green. That’s a fascinating fit — two guys who can defend, pass, and irritate opponents in equal measure. Lendeborg’s scoring ability should take pressure off Green as he ages.
Mara gives Oklahoma City something it didn’t have enough of: a true rim protector at 7-foot-3. The Thunder already have a deep roster, but Mara’s length and shot-blocking instincts fill a specific need.
Three Michigan players. Three lottery picks. One former coach who drafted one of them. The rest of the league is still figuring out how to keep up with the Wolverines’ talent pipeline.
Leave a Comment