Tre Johnson could be the best pure scorer in the 2025 NBA Draft, but is it enough for him to find enduring success?
At the top of the 2025 NBA Draft is Cooper Flag, and beyond that, there’s a long list of talented, yet players who change franchises. Yes, players like Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey and Derik Queen are the opposite of the NBA, but their ability to put the franchise on their backs is not the same as Flag.
That said, a team that loses the NBA Draft lottery still has plenty of talent and wants the purest bucket getter possible should line up with Tre Johnson, who led the SEC loaded with scoring in his freshman season.
The Texas Longhorns bounced back in the first four of Xavier’s NCAA tournament, but Johnson shot 7-for-7 from 3-point range and finished with 23 points, solidifying his position as the top prospect in 2025.
- Age/Date of Birth: 19 (March 7, 2006
- nationality: Americans
- Height/Weight: 6 feet 6, 190 pounds
- College: Texas Longhorns
- Career statistics: 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steel, 42.7 fg%, 39.7 3pt%
- NCAA Tournament Statistics: 23 points, 2 assists, 6 rebounds, 0 steel, 42.9 fg%, 51.7 3pt%
- Best career: 39 points (vs. Arkansas), 9 rebounds (vs. Kentucky), 6 assists (vs. Oklahoma)
- NBA comparison: Cam Thomas
He can score, score, and score a few more. He led the SEC with 19.9 points per game, but it’s not an easy feat considering Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky are all involved in the conference. He can score from midrange, he can score from deep, he can score with paint.
He can also score as a dribble or as a static catch-and-shoot threat. When he gets the ball, he’s going to shoot the rock.
He also takes care of the ball. His turnover rates of 29.1% and 9.2% are elite. The only NBA players posting percentages of usage above 25% and sales below 10% are seven All-Stars. That’s not a bad company.
Only active player Better The numbers are Shay Gilgus Alexander, Ty Maxey, Donovan Mitchell and Anthony Davis.
Of course, Johnson doesn’t get turnovers just because he doesn’t pass much, but if you want someone who can score points at the best points, he’s your guy.
In college, Johnson might have been a ballhog. In the NBA, he will not be the best player on a team, so he must learn to pass. He usually takes less than five dribbles before reaching his spot and firing, so if the defense breaks down quickly on him and he can find an open man, he’s fatal, but he has to prove he can first.
He also doesn’t draw much contact. This is fine in college when he is trying to save himself for the pros, but players like him live in the free throw line and he has yet to prove his ability to do it.
His ball handling is fine, but he may struggle to become the highest level lead guard and will do his best with the true point guard next to him.
He’s also not an extraordinary athlete or particularly strong. He boasts a wingspan of 6 feet 10, but there are very realistic concerns about his defensive impact. This means he needs to be paired with someone who can defend.
He can be a score-first backcourt player like Devin Booker, or a bench star like Jordan Clarkson. It all depends on what skills he adds to his repertoire, but the teams trying to draft him are mostly interested in his score.
He has a solid defensive identity and best suits teams that need offensive help, such as the Orlando Magic, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Or you could join the team with a solidified starting unit and be the sixth person in a microwave like the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers.
Of course, Johnson is expected to be a top 15 pick, and most of the teams listed won’t even get a shot to choose him. With a team near the top of the draft, the San Antonio Spurs can use him from the bench behind Devin Vassel, Stefon Castle and Dearon Fox.
But both the Pelicans and Spurs aim for the top three picks, but one of the nation’s best scorers isn’t a bad comfort award for slipping the lottery.