Why Tre Johnson Can Get a Max Contract with Wizards

With the sixth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards took sharpshooting off-guard and overall flamethrower Tre Johnson, a special talent that has the capability to immediately improve the franchise's dreadful offense. After averaging 19.9 points per game with the Longhorns last year, Johnson, who won SEC Freshman of the Year, joins a Wizards squad that has talent in certain areas, but lacks an alpha scorer that can take over games in the clutch.

A team that ranked near last in three-point percentage, Johnson adds the ability to shoot 40% from beyond the arc, which he did on 6.8 attempts per game last season. He can do so off of the dribble and off of the catch, and has shown to be a player that can create for himself with a burgeoning ability to do so for others. On a team that needs scoring from the wing spot, Johnson provides that in spades. Standing at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he has the positional size to slot in either the two or three, giving him some versatility depending on how head coach Brian Keefe wants to use him.

Johnson's chances of landing a max contract look good beyond his simple abilites on the court; financially, things will really start to open up for the Wizards after the 2025-26 season ends. They will have $110 million in cap space after the expiration of contracts for Khris Middleton, CJ McCollum, Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, Richaun Holmes, and Anthony Gill. The cap relief also means they will be able to compete in the free agent market when the time comes as they attempt to build Washington into a competitive team in the Eastern Conference.

Considering Washington's plan with Johnson, which is to build around him, his role as a high-octane scorer lends itself to big money upon the start of a second contract. If he can live up to the hype and be a 25-point scorer on a regular basis, Johnson can make generational money after the expiration of his rookie deal. Given his attitude towards the game and hunger for improvement, the chances that Johnson makes things work in DC are high, leading to a long and steady career in the NBA.