Michigan's Historic Draft Night
Michigan Basketball Achieves Historic Feat with Three Top-12 NBA Draft Picks After Championship.
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Key Points
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Dusty May was hired away from Michigan to become the Dallas Mavericks’ head coach, and his familiarity with Morez Johnson Jr. helped fuel Dallas’ No. 9 pick on draft night.
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Yaxel Lendeborg is described as an elite defender with finishing ability and is positioned as a plug-and-play fit for the Warriors, a team unlikely to wait for rookies to develop.
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Aday Mara's breakout season at Michigan featured strong numbers and a defensive accolade: 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.6 blocks per game, a 66.8% field-goal percentage, and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, after transferring from UCLA.
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Historically, Michigan joining the ranks of programs with three top-12 picks in a single draft marks the seventh such occurrence; other schools to achieve this include Duke (2019), Kentucky (2015), Florida (2007), UNLV (1991) and Indiana (1976), and Michigan, UNC, and Florida have each won national championships around these multi-pick drafts.
Michigan basketball made history on June 23, 2026, placing three players in the top 12 of the NBA Draft — a first for the program. Morez Johnson Jr. went No. 9 to the Dallas Mavericks, Yaxel Lendeborg went No. 11 to the Golden State Warriors, and Aday Mara went No. 12 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to NBC Sports.
The milestone caps a stunning two-year run. Michigan won the 2026 national championship over UConn, finished 64-13 under coach Dusty May, and then watched May leave for the NBA — all before draft night. Michigan Athletics notes this is only the seventh time in history a single school has placed three players in the top 12 of the same draft.
Dusty May Leaves Michigan, Then Drafts His Star
On June 22, just one day before the draft, Dusty May agreed to become head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, according to Yahoo Sports. It was a stunning exit. May went 64-13 at Michigan and delivered the program's first national title since 1989. Michigan AD Warde Manuel called it a disappointment but praised May's "lasting impact."
Then came draft night. With the No. 9 pick, Dallas selected Morez Johnson Jr. — May's own player from Michigan. May said Johnson's "physicality and defensive switchability" were key to the Mavericks' new identity. The 6'9" forward averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and shot 62.3% from the field in 2025-26, per CBS News.
Lendeborg and Mara Round Out a Historic Lottery Sweep
Two picks later, Golden State took Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11. Lendeborg was the Big Ten Player of the Year. He averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Analysts called him a "plug-and-play" fit for the Warriors — a team that needs ready contributors, not projects, according to Maize & Brew.
At No. 12, Oklahoma City grabbed Aday Mara — a 7'3" center who transferred from UCLA and became Michigan's defensive anchor. Mara posted 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and shot 66.8% from the field. He won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Michigan Athletics credits his Spain-to-UCLA-to-Michigan journey as a story of remarkable resilience.
Michigan Joins an Elite Club of Multi-Lottery Programs
Only six other schools have ever sent three players into the top 12 of the same draft, according to Michigan Athletics. The list includes Duke in 2019 (Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish), Kentucky in 2015, Florida in 2007, UNLV in 1991, and Indiana in 1976. Michigan is now the seventh program to achieve the feat.
The pattern holds another note: three of those programs won national championships the same year they produced three lottery picks. Michigan fits that mold exactly. Michigan previously had three first-round picks in 1990, but never three in the lottery — making 2026 a true first for the program, per NBC Sports.
A New Blueprint — and a Succession Problem in Ann Arbor
May's departure raises hard questions. He built Michigan's title team by using the transfer portal like a recruiting engine, landing Lendeborg from UAB, Johnson Jr. from Illinois, and Mara from UCLA. That portal-to-championship-to-pros pipeline is now the model — but Michigan must find someone to run it, according to Yahoo Sports.
In Dallas, May is pairing Johnson Jr. with NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg in what analysts see as a clear youth movement. For Michigan, three starters are gone and the coach is gone. The program has momentum and a national title. What it needs now is a new leader to keep it from slipping back.
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