How Would Tre Johnson Fit With The Utah Jazz?
May 14, 2025, 4:41 PM | Updated: May 21, 2025, 12:19 am
Tre Johnson #56 at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY—After the Utah Jazz fell to the fifth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, one name they’ll monitor closely is Texas guard Tre Johnson.
The Jazz had a 52.1 percent chance of landing one of the top four picks in the draft, and a 47.9 percent chance of selecting fifth.
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Tre Johnson Scouting Report
Bio: 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists: .427/.397/.871
Texas – Guard – 19 years old on draft night
Strengths: As evidenced by his 19.9 points per game average and nearly 40 percent success rate from the three-point line, Johnson is one of the more prolific scorers in this year’s draft.
The Texas guard is a lethal shooter with range that will easily translate to the NBA, and can get to his shot in multiple ways.
Johnson is nearly as dangerous with the ball in his hands as he is coming off screens, in transition, or when spotting up on the perimeter.
— bball vids & vibes (@balldontlie_aye) May 13, 2025
Like some of the best shooters in the NBA, Johnson punishes defenses that give him even the smallest window to get his shot off, and does so with excellent speed and mechanics.
Some college players add unnecessary flair to their jump shots, either falling off balance or kicking out their legs while they’re in the air, but there is almost no wasted motion in Johnson’s shooting approach.
The guard is also very talented in the mid-range, utilizing his back-to-the-basket game and crafty footwork to get to his fadeaway jumpshot.
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Johnson’s varied jump-shot diet will add value as a late shot clock option for whichever team selects him in the draft.
The guard’s 2.7 assists per game accurately represent his lack of playmaking skills, but he’s a more willing passer than his reputation would imply in draft circles.
Good day for Tre Johnson at the NBA draft combine. Tested well, hit 68% of his aggregate jumpers in drills, and measured a 6’10 wingspan and 37 1/2 inch vertical leap.
NBA teams are increasingly talking about him as a safe pick, with significant long-term upside to grow into. pic.twitter.com/LSsa93if9F
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 14, 2025
Due to Texas’s putrid offensive system, there may be even more to Johnson’s game as a movement shooter and passer than he was able to show in college.
Johnson had an excellent showing at the NBA Combine, measuring just under 6-foot-5 without shoes, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and a 37.5-inch vertical leap.
Weaknesses: Despite his strong athletic measurements at the combine, the guard struggled to use his physical tools on the court, rarely getting to the basket in the halfcourt.
While Johnson has a deep bag of dribble moves, he almost exclusively uses them to move side-to-side or backward, rather than toward the hoop.
Without the ability to get into the paint with any consistency, his upside as a playmaker will be significantly reduced, and likely leaves him as more of a three-point shooting specialist than his athletic tools would imply.
Though Johnson’s shooting touch is elite, he’s not great at recognizing how to generate easy threes by finding space against the defense.
As someone who wasn’t very high on Tre Johnson pre-draft (ranked late lotto to late teens), his combine showing has him trending up
He’s nearly 6’5” without shoes with a 6’9” wing span and a 37.5” max vert
Great combo of size & explosiveness from one the best scoring prospects… pic.twitter.com/BN3TtaM1X7
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) May 13, 2025
The guard regularly sits and waits for the ball, rather than relocating to abuse poor defensive spacing or to create passing lanes within the offense.
As a result, Johnson is prone to playing next to his teammates, rather than working with them to create offensive advantages.
While he’s a willing passer, his ball movement does not generate advantages for his teammates, and it’s more regularly reactionary than anticipatory.
Defensively, Johnson was a frequent target for the opposition, and will only see that worsen in the NBA.
Tre Johnson doesn’t miss in the mid range pullup shooting drills at the NBA draft combine pic.twitter.com/1QOwJqmk4K
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2025
The guard has moments where he moves his feet well, but only in short spurts, and most NBA perimeter players will easily get around him off the dribble.
When the opposition wasn’t dribbling past Johnson, they were dribbling through him, and he will be a liability on the floor, barring monumental defensive growth.
Off the ball, Johnson regularly overhelps and isn’t quick enough to recover to perimeter shooters on closeouts. Despite his excellent vertical leap and long arms, the guard blocked only 10 shots all season, failed to record a steal in more than a third of his college outings, and never had more than three steals in any one game.
How Would Tre Johnson Fit With The Jazz?
The Jazz attempted the sixth-most threes in the NBA last season, but were the ninth-worst shooting team at exactly 35 percent.
Johnson would step in and help the Jazz maintain their high level of attempts, while raising the team’s overall percentage due to his shotmaking ability.
Over the last two seasons, the team has been overly reliant on Keyonte George as a perimeter shooter, despite below-average percentages.
Tre Johnson 🤝 contested shotmaking pic.twitter.com/ELMhtAEklW
— Mohamed (@mcfdraft) March 20, 2025
Johnson would ease that burden better than anyone in this year’s draft, especially in late-clock situations where the Jazz desperately need a difficult shot maker.
Furthermore, when paired with Brice Sensabaugh, the Jazz could space the court with two elite shooters, opening up the floor for Isaiah Collier and Walker Kessler to operate in the pick and roll.
However, Johnson does little to address the Jazz’s numerous other needs offensively as a primary scoring option, playmaker, or overall offensive engine.
Defensively, the team would take another significant step backward with Johnson on the floor at one of the most glaring areas of need on the roster.
Ultimately, the 19-year-old’s elite shooting is likely good enough to keep him in the NBA beyond his rookie contract, but his upside may be lower than his shooting numbers and scoring average may imply.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
