Looking at the final mocks for Tre Johnson in the 2025 NBA Draft

The 2025 NBA Draft is upon us. The event airs tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN and Texas superstar shooting guard Tre Johnson has emerged as high-end lottery selection, projected solidly in the top eight picks by every major publication.

[Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns scoop!]

It makes sense – Johnson was an elite scoring threat last season with Texas, overcoming an archaic offensive system to lead all NCAA freshmen in points per game at 19.9 en route to winning SEC Freshman of the Year. Despite a damning lack of off-ball movement and secondary actions, Johnson still managed to get buckets efficiently, shooting 42.7% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc.

Despite criticism received for inability to contribute outside of the scoring column, Johnson flashed ability as a playmaker, particularly in passing out of double teams and blitzes with 2.7 assists per game. Given his status as the best shooter in the class, which he emphasized with his performance at the NBA Combine, his projected landing spot is between picks three and eight, with some debate as to where he will land in that particular range.

Here are some respected draft resources’ opinions about where Johnson will end up tonight.

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic; Kyle Boon, CBS Sports: Pick no. 7, New Orleans Pelicans

*Note: Yesterday’s trade for Jordan Poole could affect this selection, though New Orleans is banking on Poole’s development as a lead guard*

Vecenie: “If the Pelicans are going to continue building around Zion Williamson, getting another monster shooter is a home run. Texas didn’t utilize him enough this year as a movement shooter, but Johnson has elite potential in that respect. I watched him in a workout in April go at full speed for over an hour, consistently drilling shots with the same mechanics over and over again off complex actions and movements. The most underrated skill that movement shooters in the NBA need is stamina.”

CBS: “Johnson led freshmen in Division-I last season in scoring and made more 3-pointers than any player in his class to boot. He’s a bucket-getter who has opened eyes not just with his versatility as a scorer, but with his rounded skill set as a playmaker, too. He’s in play as high as No. 3 but could go outside the top five, too. One determining factor may be which direction Utah, seen as a wild card, goes at No. 5.”

Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo! Sports: Pick no. 5, Utah Jazz

O’Connor notes that the Jazz, who could find themselves picking between Ace Bailey and Johnson, will likely lean Johnson due to his status as “the best overall shooter in the class.” Though he “needs to continue developing his point guard skills and dramatically improving his defense,” Johnson could immediately step in an be a top-notch scorer for a Jazz team that badly needs consistent shooting from outside (22nd in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 35%).

Jonathan Givony & Jeremy Woo, ESPN; NBC Sports: Pick no. 8, Brooklyn Nets

ESPN: Though this would be a bit of a fall from where most experts have him, Givony and Woo outline a realistic scenario where he falls to the eighth pick. Given that the Nets were a bottom-three team in offensive rating last season, adding a flamethrower like Johnson makes sense, especially on a team led by head coach Jordi Fernandez, who “is friendly to the idea of developing young talent.”

NBC: “As for this pick, Johnson is one of the best scorers in this draft class, and he would be joining a Nets squad that finished this season ranked 28th in offensive rating and 29th in points per game.”

Sam Smith, NBA.com: Pick no. 6, Washington Wizards

Smith said the following about the Wizards’ setup: “They pretty much need everything, but the draft eve trade of Jordan Poole—how were they able to do that?—after off loading Kyle Kuzma during the season opens the way for a shooting guard, and Johnson may be the best from this group.”

---

Assuming the top two picks go to plan, with Dallas selecting Duke forward Cooper Flagg first and San Antonio selecting Rutgers guard Dylan Harper second, there is a slim chance that Philadelphia selects Johnson third overall. Still, it feels like the 76ers are enamored with Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, and Charlotte is being rumored to want Duke wing Kon Knueppel fourth overall.

In my opinion, Washington makes the most sense for Johnson, given the fact that Utah needs defensive upside more than anything, and as good as he is, that is a part of his game that is clearly a work in progress. Washington could use more help on the offensive end, and the Texas shooting guard could make an early impact on the team’s scoring troubles while drastically increasing spacing.

[Order THE LONGHORN ALPHABET: Your little Longhorns can know about famous plays like Roll Left!]

Ultimately, Johnson’s draft stock is amongst the most stable in the entire class, and eight seems to be the absolute low spot for where he could fall. Likely, he lands in the five-to-seven range, despite the fact that some see him as a top-three prospect in the class. Regardless of his landing spot, whoever lands his services will be getting a high-motor scoring threat that will see the floor early.