Where Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. is projected in post-lottery NBA mock drafts

Michigan Wolverines basketball has three primary NBA Draft prospects in forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. and center Aday Mara, all projected as first-round picks in the June 23-24 event.

Here’s a look at where Johnson checks in on post-lottery mock drafts, with multiple of them having him No. 17 to the Oklahoma City Thunder but others viewing him lower in the first round.

• CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein: No. 17 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder
“Johnson is tough, rugged, willing to do all the dirty work, capable of sliding his feet and being versatile defensively, and now even knocking down open threes,” Finkelstein wrote. “That type of two-way versatility, all while buying into a complementary role, makes him an ideal role player. He won a championship doing that at Michigan, and will have a chance to win more at OKC.”

• Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor: No. 17 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder
“Oh look, another pick for the Thunder,” O’Connor wrote. “They just keep coming! With such a deep, talented roster, they at some point are going to see roster turnover. Over the next two years, eight players will hit free agency. But the priorities won’t change: Surrounding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will require the type of guys who are critical to playing championship basketball. That’s Morez Johnson. He transferred from Illinois to Michigan and became the connective tissue of the national champions as a 250-pound wrecking ball with surprisingly soft hands and the defensive IQ to guard 1 through 5 in a switch-heavy scheme. He’s not quite big enough to be a true center and not yet proven enough as a shooter to guarantee he spaces the floor. But even without a jumper, Johnson has a long future ahead of him.”

• The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie: No. 17 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder
“Johnson was one of my favorite players in college basketball,” Vecenie wrote. “He was one of the most efficient players in the country, averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the field. He got to the foul line four times per game and made 78 percent of those. He’s a tough rebounder who is physical on the interior and crashes with his long arms. But I love Johnson the most on defense; he was the best all-around defender on one of the three best defenses in the nation, and that included Lendeborg and Mara. He’s tremendous as a post defender, flying around in help and showcasing switchability on the perimeter.

“But Johnson is undersized for his role despite his strength and doesn’t have a ton of offensive versatility. Essentially, he’s a play finisher around the interior. That skill set is reminiscent of Isaiah Stewart, and Stewart has turned into a very valuable player for the Pistons. Oklahoma City has been linked to Stewart before, and even though the Thunder took Thomas Sorber last season, they’re loaded everywhere and can afford to take another big. Teams across the league look at Oklahoma City, as well, as a team primed to likely try to combine its picks to move up or to try to move one of these picks to move out of the draft.”

• ESPN’s Jeremy Woo: No. 20 overall to the San Antonio Spurs
“Johnson will have a chance to capitalize on his role in Michigan’s title run, with his physical style of play and defensive versatility holding long-term NBA appeal,” Woo wrote. “Though undersized for a 5, he has a great frame, runs the floor well, is an active rebounder and has the ability to guard multiple positions and switch situationally. That makes him a glue-guy candidate for teams looking to get more athletic up front.

“San Antonio is heavy on perimeter talent and should be considering younger frontcourt depth at this spot. The Spurs have the advantage of being able to effectively pair Victor Wembanyama with nearly any big up front, with his shooting and rim protection enabling a wide range of lineups. Johnson should draw consideration here and would give them some added muscle next to their ascending superstar.”

• Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman: No. 23 overall to the Atlanta Hawks
“Morez Johnson Jr. will have a very clear, defined job in the NBA, and he easily has the tools, athleticism and motor to execute in that role,” Wasserman wrote.

“At 6’9”, 250 pounds, his combination of strength, leaping and coordination should continue to work well finishing rim runs, lobs, putbacks and low-post opportunities.

“And there should be equal expected value (or more) tied to his defensive projection, given his toughness inside and foot speed away from the basket.”

• Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney: No. 29 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers
“Johnson had a monster sophomore season at Michigan, helping the Wolverines to the national championship as part of their elite frontcourt,” Sweeney said. “He has fairly wide appeal throughout the picks in the 20s as a hard-playing energy big who is elite on the glass, mobile enough to guard on the perimeter and physical enough to battle bigger centers despite standing just 6′ 9″.”

• New York Post’s Brian Lewis: Not listed in lottery