Morez Johnson Jr. seems to have modified the draft dialog in a rush. Reporting from NBA insider Evan Sidery on Wednesday, Could 13, says Johnson is now anticipated to stay within the 2026 NBA Draft after delivering a powerful exhibiting on the mix.
That issues as a result of Johnson is now not being talked about like a mid-round flyer. Sidery reported that decision-makers have been buzzing about his elite measurements, athleticism, and improved capturing, with Johnson now broadly seen as a top-20 lock.
The rise makes basketball sense if you have a look at the tape and the manufacturing. After one season at Illinois and one at Michigan, Johnson constructed a résumé that reveals actual ahead worth: he averaged 13.1 factors, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 40 video games for the Wolverines this previous season whereas capturing 62.3 p.c from the sphere.
His offensive profile has steadily expanded, too. At Michigan, Johnson knocked down 34.3 p.c of his threes.
The numbers solely sharpen the argument for staying within the draft. Over his two school seasons, he averaged 10.5 factors and seven.0 rebounds whereas capturing 62.8 p.c from the sphere.
The 2026 draft class has loads of headline names on the prime, however gamers who can transfer up boards in the course of the pre-draft course of typically create the most important shifts in worth.
With the draft set for June 23 and 24 at Barclays Heart in Brooklyn, Johnson’s subsequent choice now seems to be more and more simple. The thrill round his title says sufficient: the league might already be treating him like a first-rounder.
