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It seemed unlucky when the Washington Wizards drew the No. 6 pick on May 12's Draft Lottery, but the board was kind to them on Wednesday night. After rumblings of a possible trade-up, they stood pat at No. 6 and selected Texas guard Tre Johnson, the best overall shooter in the class.
The 19-year-old explained how he can mesh with Washington's young roster after he got picked.
I asked Tre Johnson on how he fits with the Wizards’ roster. He emphasized floor-spacing and playmaking. pic.twitter.com/hZDLL2CwH5
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) June 26, 2025
“By being a guy that spaces the floor for guys that love to create, and also so guys can't help that much,” the SEC Freshman of the Year said. “If you do, that's an easy assist. Also, I can get others going with my playmaking.”
The Wizards selected Johnson over Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, whom they were reportedly “locked in on” before the draft. However, their final choice was understandable, as the former measured at 6-foot-2.5-inches barefoot at the Draft Combine, while the latter was 6-foot-4.75-inches and is a much better shooter (28.4 percent clip from deep vs. 39.7 percent).
Fears has superior handles and gets to the rim more, but his shooting struggles, combined with his average-at-best size, made him a boom-or-bust pick. On the other hand, Johnson's long-range acumen aligns with both the modern NBA and a Washington squad that set a league record last season by having three rookies hit 100-plus threes (Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr, and Kyshawn George).
Johnson shot a blistering 40.8 percent on catch-and-shoot threes with the Longhorns, including 41.6 percent on contested and 39.6 percent on open looks. The Texas native also shot 37.1 percent on off-the-dribble jumpers, including 38.1 percent from deep. The fact that the latter stat was in the neighborhood of 40 percent is an encouraging sign for his potential as a premier guard in the NBA, as he can consistently create his own shot.
Johnson does have a couple of areas to clean up. For one, the former five-star recruit only took 20 percent of his shots at the rim last season, so he'll have to get downhill more to be less predictable in the NBA. Additionally, he averaged just 2.7 assists against 1.8 turnovers, so his facilitation leaves room for improvement. With Jordan Poole now shipped out, Johnson could step in as Washington's point guard of the future along with Carrington if he develops that aspect of his game.
Still, it's hard for teenagers not to have warts coming into the NBA. Johnson's elite shooting gives him a baseline way to be productive at the top level while he figures out the rest. Don't be surprised if he's helping the Wizards hang banners once he fully develops.
Tre Johnson touts his relationship with Wizards
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It's one thing for a player to compliment their front office, and it's another when they do it when they're not on the team. That's what Johnson did during Tuesday's pre-draft interviews, before he knew Washington would pick him.
The SEC All-Freshman honoree recounted his visit with the organization.
Tre Johnson said that he has a great relationship with the Wizards, and that his visit with them was like “a college visit.”
He also detailed how he keeps his shooting at such a high level. pic.twitter.com/toEFkgwjwX
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) June 24, 2025
“I had a great relationship with them, especially with the coaching staff. I actually told my agent that the visit was set up like a college visit,” he said. “You had snacks in the room, you met everybody, you talked to everybody. We did like a shoe thing before we even stepped on the court, so it felt like a college visit, and I had a good relationship with the front office.”
Not every prospect is so transparent about their affinity for certain organizations. For example, Utah Jazz wing Ace Bailey refused to work out for several teams and kept his cards close to the chest during Tuesday's interviews. However, Johnson's enthusiasm when discussing the Wizards before he knew he'd join the fold speaks for itself. He wasn't obligated to give that type of answer, but he did anyway.
The former McDonald's All-American also explained how he keeps his shooting at such a high level.
“I just shoot the shots that I know I'm gonna shoot in the game. If it's certain plays, I rip out the action where I'd be getting the shot to make sure that I make it in a game,” he said. “Some of the stuff is in transition, so I work on that. It's not too much rocket science, just reading plays in practice and stuff that I know I'm gonna be doing, knowing where my shots are gonna come from.”
Johnson's work paid off in college, as he shot 44.2 percent on transition threes, 52.1 percent off of screens, and 54.8 percent on threes off of screens. His ability to make any type of jump shot will make a Washington offense that ranked dead last in offensive rating last season more dynamic.
It's not easy for any organization to go through an 18-64 season like the Wizards just did, but landing a player of Johnson's ilk makes that struggle worth it for a rebuilding squad.
