Mavericks unveil Las Vegas Summer League roster led by Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio de Larrea

The Dallas Mavericks announced their roster for the 2026 Las Vegas NBA Summer League, a group built around the arrival of two new draft choices. Leading the Mavericks’ “Summer League” team, as it begins play in Las Vegas next week, are ninth overall pick Morez Johnson Jr. and 25th overall selection Sergio de Larrea, additions that report Dallas’s intent to put its newest talent through real, game-speed evaluation rather than treating the summer as a purely ceremonial stop.

According to coverage of the announcement, Johnson will be asked to operate early in the flow of Dallas’s offense and showcase the skills that made him such a high-priority pick. The team is also leaning on continuity by including several players who have already spent time in Mavericks development settings, including Ryan Nembhard and John Poulakidas, both of whom are expected to factor into the guard rotation during the early portion of the tournament.

The Summer League roster also features other draft-linked pieces, including second-round pick Tobi Lawal and Russian prospect Vsevolod Ischenko. Dallas’s mix is notable for how international it looks on paper, with multiple European-connected prospects alongside North American players. Yahoo Sports characterized that international flavor as a defining theme of the Vegas group, with de Larrea coming directly from Spain’s top professional environment and other roster spots going to players from outside the United States.

De Larrea, a guard coming over after a championship run in Spain with Valencia, is part of the Mavericks’ broader transition from prospect-only intrigue to structured on-court work. Coverage of the roster stated that the Spain native will not only appear in Summer League but is also intended to have a path to the organization beyond just the summer, with the Mavericks treating the Las Vegas stop as both a test and a introduction to their system.

Dallas will begin its Summer League schedule July 9 against the Golden State Warriors, with Johnson set to face a former Michigan teammate, Yaxel Lendeborg, according to Dallas News. That opening game matters less for standings and more for context, because it gives Dallas its first read on how its rookies and second-year options adjust against another NBA franchise’s summer rotation.

The Mavericks also named Joe Boylan as the head coach for the Summer League team, underscoring that this roster is designed for development and evaluation rather than a short-term attempt to win every game. Summer League coaching staff and assignments typically emphasize decision-making, defensive reads, and role clarity, and the Mavericks’ roster construction suggests Dallas wants to watch how the draft class performs when spacing, pace, and matchups shift minute to minute.

Beyond the marquee names, the Mavericks’ group reflects an organizational preference for having enough live bodies to simulate lineup variety. In addition to Johnson and de Larrea, Dallas’s reported roster includes Tyler Smith and other returning or offseason-linked players, giving the staff a wider set of matchup looks, especially as summer tournament games can force quick adjustments.

What to watch next is not a specific win-loss outcome, but how Dallas distributes minutes and responsibilities among its newest players. Johnson’s usage early, de Larrea’s role and comfort with Dallas’s offensive decision tree, and Lawal and Ischenko’s ability to convert physical traits into repeatable basketball reads will likely determine what the organization carries forward into training camp.

Ultimately, the Mavericks’ Las Vegas roster is a condensed preview of their offseason priorities: install the rookies, stress-test the on-court fit, and bring promising international talent into the same learning environment as their North American core. The first full look comes immediately on July 9, and the early games will shape the story of whether Dallas’s draft class can translate potential into structure fast enough for meaningful ramp-up.