Mavericks spotlight Nembhard, Morez Johnson Jr.

The Dallas Mavericks opened NBA Summer League play in Las Vegas on Thursday with attention centered on Ryan Nembhard and rookie forward Morez Johnson Jr., not on Cooper Flagg. The Dallas Morning News said Dallas is using its Vegas run to get a longer look at Nembhard, now a second-year guard on a standard NBA deal, and Johnson, the club’s 2026 first-round pick. (dallasnews.com) The Mavericks announced their Summer League roster on July 3 and listed Johnson and Nembhard among the headliners for the trip. Flagg is not on the Summer League team, shifting the focus to players still competing for developmental reps and rotation traction. (nba.com) ### Why is Ryan Nembhard one of the main names on Dallas’ Summer League roster? (nba.com) Ryan Nembhard reached Las Vegas after a rookie season in which Dallas moved him from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal. The Mavericks officially converted his contract on March 1, according to reports aggregated by Hoops Rumors, after he opened the 2025-26 season as an undrafted rookie and two-way player. Dallas later exercised its team option for 2026-27, according to multiple reports. The Dallas Morning News said Nembhard also arrives as a Summer League veteran. The paper noted that he played three games in Las Vegas last summer, giving Dallas a guard on this roster with prior event experience while much of the group is new to the setting. (dallasnews.com) The Spokesman-Review said Nembhard should have a starring role for the Mavericks in Vegas after the in-season contract conversion. ### What is Dallas looking at with Morez Johnson Jr.? Morez Johnson Jr. is Dallas’ top draft storyline in Las Vegas. The Mavericks identified him as the No. 9 overall pick on their Summer League roster release, and The Dallas Morning News listed him as the first-rounder to examine during the team’s Vegas games. (nba.com) The Mavericks’ roster release also put Johnson at the center of the opening matchup. Dallas said its July 9 game against Golden State would feature a reunion between Johnson and Yaxel Lendeborg, his former Michigan teammate, who was drafted 11th by the Warriors. In the Mavericks’ fourth scheduled game, Dallas said Johnson is also set for another reunion against Oklahoma City’s Aday Mara, another former Michigan frontcourt teammate. (dallasnews.com) ### Why isn’t Cooper Flagg the center of this Dallas Summer League story? Cooper Flagg is not playing for Dallas in Summer League this year. The Athletic reported that the Mavericks are not using him in Las Vegas, and Yahoo’s fantasy preview similarly listed Flagg among established players being held out of the event. (nba.com) The Dallas Morning News said Flagg played two games in Las Vegas last summer before being sidelined. That leaves Dallas’ 2026 Summer League group with a different emphasis: Nembhard as a returning pro who already cracked the NBA roster, and Johnson as the first-round pick getting his first extended look in Mavericks colors. (nba.com) ### What does the Mavericks’ Summer League schedule look like? July 9 is Dallas’ opener, with the Mavericks scheduled to face Golden State at 6 p.m. Central time. The team said fans can watch locally on KFAA and the MavsTV app. (dallasnews.com) Las Vegas Summer League gives every team at least four games before the top two clubs advance to the championship game, with the remaining teams playing a fifth game, according to event format guides cited in broader coverage. Dallas’ first game puts Johnson and Nembhard at the front of the evaluation line as the Mavericks begin their Vegas slate. (dallasnews.com) July 9 begins that process for Dallas in a game against Golden State, and the Mavericks’ roster release says later Vegas dates include a matchup with Oklahoma City that will give Johnson another college reunion stage. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)