After helping Michigan win the NCAA title last month, sophomore big man Morez Johnson Jr. will keep his name in the 2026 NBA draft, his agents at CAA Basketball tell Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
“I am excited to chase my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” Johnson said. “Every stop along my journey has prepared me for this moment, and I’m extremely grateful.”
As Borzello writes, Johnson has been rising up NBA draft boards after last week’s combine, where he measured 6’9″ and 251 pounds, with a 7’3.5″ wingspan and an 8’11” standing reach. He also performed well in shooting drills, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, who has the 20-year-old going No. 17 overall in his latest mock draft.
For what it’s worth, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports also has the Thunder selecting Johnson 17th overall, though he writes that there’s been a lot of speculation about Oklahoma City potentially looking to trade the pick for future selections. Johnson is considered a strong, versatile defender, per O’Connor.
Johnson, an Illinois native, spent his freshman season with the Illini but wasn’t a major factor in the team’s offense. He averaged 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 17.6 minutes per game across 30 appearances in 2024/25.
The forward/center was more productive offensively for the Wolverines in ’25/26, averaging 13.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 25.6 MPG. He appeared in all 40 games for Michigan while showing drastic improvement at the free throw line (61.8% as a freshman vs. 78.2% as a sophomore).