The NBA’s Southwest Division could become a showcase next season for rookies who do their best work in the paint.
Memphis took Duke forward Cameron Boozer third overall in the NBA draft Tuesday night and added forward Karim Lopez of Mexico later in the first round.
The Dallas Mavericks used their top draft choice — at ninth overall — to select Morez Johnson Jr. from the reigning NCAA national champion Michigan Wolverines.
The defending Western Conference champions added a big man, too. The San Antonio Spurs took Kentucky forward and center Jayden Quaintance at 20th overall — and then traded for another big man — UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. — at No. 26.
Shortly after the 6-foot-9 Boozer found out he’d be heading to Memphis, he predicted that he and Zach Edey would “become one of the best rebounding duos in the league” and cause mismatch problems for opponents.
The 6-9 Johnson joins dynamic second-year big man Cooper Flagg in the Mavericks’ potentially formidable front court. Johnson averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in helping Michigan win the second NCAA title in program history this past season.
Houston and New Orleans did not have first-round selections this year, and neither succeeded in finding a trade they liked to get back into NBA draft’s opening round.
The Rockets didn’t make their first pick until late in the second round Wednesday night, at 53rd overall, and they, too, grabbed a big man. Houston took 6-11 Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso of Nigeria.
The Pelicans, who won just 26 games last season, had only the third to last pick in the second round, or 58th overall. They took SMU wing Jeron Pierre Jr.
What was the team’s need: Pieces for an ongoing rebuild process that Memphis started last summer.
Who did Memphis draft: Cameron Boozer, 6-foot-9 power forward from Duke with the No. 3 pick. Two trades dropped the Grizzlies from No. 16 to No. 17 to 21, picking up five second-round picks in the process. At No. 21 from Detroit in a deal that won’t be official until July 6, Memphis selected Karim Lopez, a 19-year-old forward from Mexico, who played for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL. BYU guard Richie Saunders was the pick at No. 32 on Wednesday night, though he is recovering from an ACL torn in mid-February.
The picks’ NBA comparison: Boozer compares to Al Horford, Paolo Banchero and Kevin Love. As for Lopez, the comparisons stretch from Kyle Kuzma to Deni Avdija. Saunders is compared to Danny Green and Grayson Allen.
Dallas Mavericks
What was the team’s need: The Mavericks might spend a long time looking for their next star point guard after the ill-fated Luka Doncic trade.
Who did Dallas draft: Michigan F/C Morez Johnson Jr. at No. 9 and G Sergio De Larrea of Spain at No. 25 in a trade with the Knicks. In the second round Wednesday night, the Mavs took Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal of England.
The picks’ NBA comparisons: At 6-9 with a defensive pedigree, Johnson fits the profile of a young Bam Adebayo. Johnson is considered limited offensively with the potential to grow. Adebayo wasn’t a double-figure scorer until his third season. De Larrea, who fits the mold of a point guard, turned down U.S. college offers to follow the same path as Doncic in the EuroLeague. But at the moment, the similarities between those two players end there.
San Antonio Spurs
What was the team’s need: Losing 4-1 to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals exposed the Spurs’ need for another big man to play alongside and spell Victor Wembanyama. The French All-Star averaged 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 2.6 assists while playing a series-high 39.7 minutes.
Who the Spurs drafted: Jayden Quaintance, a 6-9, 253-pound forward from Kentucky and Tarris Reed Jr., a 6-11 center from Connecticut. Quaintance’s career started at Arizona State, but his freshman season ended when he suffered a torn ACL, torn meniscus, and fracture to his right knee on Feb. 23, 2025. He played four games for Kentucky before knee pain and swelling forced him to end his season. Reed, picked 26th overall and acquired from Denver in a draft night trade, spent his first two seasons at Michigan before closing his career at UConn. Reed averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks during his four-year career. Both Quaintance and Reed are rim protectors and defensive-minded players who rely on their strength. In the second round Wednesday night, San Antonio selected Tennessee guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie 42nd overall, and Duke forward Malik Brown 44th overall.
The pick’s NBA comparison: Quaintance has been compared defensively to Portland’s Robert Williams III and Houston’s Clint Capela and offensively to Detroit’s Jalen Duren for his play around the rim. Reed has been compared to Joakim Noah and Andrew Bogut for his back-to-the-basket approach to offense.
What was the team need: Houston ranked near the bottom of the NBA in 3-point shooting last season, so that was an apparent need. But the Rockets also needed help in the front court, given the recent injury struggles of Capela and Steven Adams. Depth at point guard also would come in handy for a team that seemed to struggle to produce when starter Fred VanVleet wasn’t on the court.
Who Houston drafted: The Rockets weren’t scheduled to pick until 39th and 53rd overall in the second round on Wednesday night, having traded away their 2026 first-rounder back in 2019 and part of a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to Houston that year. But the Rockets traded away their 39th overall pick to the New York Knicks before finally taking Onyenso.
What was the team need: The Pelicans needed more outside shooting, particularly if they intend to continue to build around power forward Zion Williamson. Trey Murphy III is New Orleans’ lone reliable outside shooting threat, and he’s been mentioned in trade talks so often that it’s not entirely clear how long his tenure with the Pelicans will endure.
Who New Orleans drafted: The Pelicans entered the draft without a first-round choice, having traded it away last year to Atlanta so New Orleans could acquire a second 2025 first-rounder that was used to take Derik Queen. Pelicans basketball operations chief Joe Dumars expressed interest in making a trade to get back into the first round this year, but apparently couldn’t find a deal he liked. New Orleans didn’t make a pick until late in the second round Wednesday night, at 58th overall, when they added Pierre to their back court.
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AP Sports Writers Teresa Walker, Schuyler Dixon, along with AP freelancers Clay Bailey and Raul Dominguez, contributed to this story.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
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