Fort Worth, Texas — Dallas Mavericks basketball returns Thursday in Las Vegas, and the club has assembled a summer league roster built around its newest prospects. Morez Johnson Jr., the ninth overall selection in last month's draft, leads a team that blends first-round talent with a global roster.
Johnson, a forward out of Michigan, signed his rookie deal Thursday. He is joined by Sergio De Larrea, the 25th pick obtained from the Lakers, who put pen to paper on a four-year contract Friday. De Larrea arrives from Valencia Basket in Spain, where he posted 9.4 points and 3.5 assists per game while claiming the league's Best Young Player award.
The international representation runs deep on this summer squad. Spanish twins Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham, England's Tobi Lawal, Russia's Vsevolod Ishchenko, and Canadian guard Ryan Nembhard give the Mavericks five countries outside the U.S. Lawal and Ishchenko were both second-round selections, at 48th and 56th overall respectively.
Familiar faces from the regular roster round out the group. Nembhard is back after a rookie season in which he dished 5.3 assists per game, alongside second-year players John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith, who saw limited action a year ago.
