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Texas' Tre Johnson will be coveted scoring option after declaring for 2025 NBA Draft

By Sam Westmoreland

Mar 19, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) high fives Xavier Musketeers head coach Sean Miller after making a three point basket in the second half at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Mar 19, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) high fives Xavier Musketeers head coach Sean Miller after making a three point basket in the second half at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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Texas' Tre Johnson declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Tuesday, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Johnson, 19, was one of the most highly coveted prospects in all of basketball when he committed to Texas before last season, and quickly lived up to his billing as a top five prospect in the sport.

Given the success Johnson had in one season with the Longhorns, jumping to the NBA was little surprise. And the skills he showed over the course of that season are going to make him incredibly tough for any NBA team to resist in the draft.

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The 6'6" forward has a 6'10" wingspan, making him the ideal wing in the modern NBA, capable marking up with bigger players and smaller guards. He's athletic and versatile, which catches scouts' eyes, but isn't necessarily what sets Johnson apart.

Instead, Johnson might be the best and most prolific scorer on most big boards in this class. He averaged 19.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season, and brought home both SEC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-SEC as a result. He's a gifted shot maker from basically anywhere, and comes off screens incredibly well to create even more offense. He's a stellar ball-handler and can beat players off the dribble.

He's a gifted, polished scorer capable of lining up at a variety of positions, and his unique blend of size, athleticism, and wingspan can create mismatches against smaller guards, or bigger forwards on the offensive end. That kind of plug-and-play scoring touch is highly coveted in the NBA, and Johnson is widely projected to be a top five pick as a result.

There's upside here, too. Johnson has showed a knack for playmaking and passing out of the post and finding open players on the perimeter. He wasn't asked to do much of that at Texas, but what he's shown indicates that there could be some point guard in his game as well. That sort of combo guard-wing would be immensely valuable in the NBA, and Johnson's upside there adds even more value.

Johnson's defense is the biggest reason he likely won't crack the top three; he's not a big player, and his smaller height means that he gets targeted on the defensive end of the floor, and his slight build means he can get pushed around a bit. His focus tends to wane a bit on that end of the floor as well, which can lead to lapses, which can be punished. And for all the shine on the offensive end of the floor, his slight build does result in him settling for bad shots from time to time.

Overall though, the good on Johnson far outweighs the bad, and he figures to be one of the most coveted prospects in what is shaping up to be a very deep draft.

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