One of the biggest points of focus for the Michigan Wolverines' offseason has been bringing back star players for another season with the program.
Yes, the departure of seniors like Yaxel Lendeborg was undeniably going to happen, but Michigan head coach Dusty May and his staff have been hard at work, trying to entice fellow stars like Morez Johnson Jr. to return for another year.
However, a recent report that Michigan was "only" coughing up an NIL package equivalent to a rookie contract of a late first-round pick in the NBA Draft has most experts expecting Johnson to opt for the league instead of returning to Ann Arbor.
Michigan's NIL offer for Morez Johnson Jr. may not be enough
According to Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press, the Wolverines are offering Johnson a deal where he would "be compensated like a late first-round pick if he returns." However, there is the possibility that Johnson could hear his name called earlier in the Draft.
While many NBA Draft experts and analysts aren't sure Johnson is ready for the league, he was just a major contributor to Michigan's National Championship season.
Johnson averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game while starting in all 40 of the Wolverines' matchups, including a double-digit performance against the UConn Huskies in the title game.
Gathered some intel on Morez Johnson Jr. today. The long and the short is he will be compensated like a late first round pick if he returns. That remains possible.
— Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press (@RealTonyGarcia) April 22, 2026
Still, the expectation internally is more likely than not, he’s NBA-bound. https://t.co/jgBb46MfSY
In other words, Johnson could easily pass up the NIL deal to stay at Michigan for the possibility of signing a significantly larger rookie contract after getting drafted into the NBA.
Or, to play devil's advocate (or May's advocate, to be more accurate), he could take the guaranteed deal to play another season for the Wolverines instead of risking missing out on the money and not getting selected until late in the first round or even the second round of the NBA Draft.
The deadline to officially enter the Draft is tomorrow, Friday, April 24, but a player can withdraw their name from the Draft until June 13.
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