The NBA Draft is almost here, and Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. has become one of the hotter names on the board. He’s not projected to slide far. Most mocks have him going somewhere in the top 15, and a couple of teams are already plotting ways to make sure they get him.
Johnson just wrapped up a standout freshman season with the Wolverines. He averaged 13.1 points on 62.3% shooting, pulled down 7.3 rebounds a night and added 1.1 blocks. He was a big reason Michigan made that run to the national title. Scouts love his motor and his frame. The guy just doesn’t stop moving.
According to a recent mock draft from Brett Siegel at ClutchPoints, Johnson lands with the Charlotte Hornets at No. 14. Siegel called that pairing “a match made in heaven.” But he also noted the Chicago Bulls are lurking at No. 15 and could try to trade up to leapfrog Charlotte.
Meanwhile, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Substack that the Oklahoma City Thunder, picking at No. 12, have interest in Johnson. Fischer wrote that teams picking just outside the lottery increasingly think Johnson won’t be available past Chicago at 15. He added that several teams believe Johnson’s floor might actually be Charlotte at No. 14, which has led to chatter around the league that the Bulls will try to move up a couple spots to jump the Hornets.
That makes sense. The Bulls need frontcourt help in a bad way. Right now their rotation at the four and five includes Jalen Smith, Matas Buzelis, Patrick Williams and Leonard Miller. That’s not exactly a scary group. Johnson was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and could walk into a starting role in Chicago, especially under new coach Tiago Splitter and whatever system he’s installing.
The Thunder are a different story. They already have a roster full of wings and guards. What they don’t have a ton of is physical, bruising bigs who can bang inside and clean up the glass. Johnson could give them exactly that kind of toughness in the frontcourt. For a team that just made the playoffs and is building toward something bigger, adding a guy with his motor and defensive instincts would be a nice get.
Of course, none of this is set in stone. The draft is unpredictable every year. But the noise around Johnson has gotten louder by the day. If the Thunder don’t take him at 12, the Hornets could grab him at 14. And if Charlotte passes? The Bulls might not even need to trade up. He could just fall right into their laps.
Teams have until Thursday night to figure out their plans. Johnson isn’t going to wait long once the picks start flying.
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