Texas freshman star Tre Johnson is declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft, he announced Tuesday. The former five-star recruit and the SEC’s Rookie of the Year led Texas in both points and minutes playing almost the entire season as an 18-year-old freshman, making him one of the youngest players in the sport.
Johnson was 247Sports’ No. 6 overall player in the 2024 class and projects as a top-10 pick in this summer’s draft. He ranks No. 6 on the CBS Sports Big Board and was No. 6 in my latest mock draft to the Toronto Raptors.
Texas narrowly squeezed into the 2025 NCAA Tournament in March and subsequently fired coach Rodney Terry after finishing 19-16, but Johnson was sensational for his part. He scored the second-most points among all freshmen this season behind only projected No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg. He also finished top-10 among all freshmen in offensive win shares and offensive box plus/minus.
Johnson led the SEC in scoring at 19.9 points per game in a historically strong season for the league. He did so while maintaining an efficient 39.7% hit rate from 3-point range and made starts in all 33 games for the Longhorns.
Here’s what 247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein said of Johnson projected him at No. 5 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers in his latest mock last week:
Credit where credit is due – Johnson had one heck of a season at Texas, putting up 20 points on 43% shooting from the floor, 40% from 3-point range, and 87% from the stripe while dishing out a 2.7 to 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. That was all while being the focal point of opposing defenses every single night. That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement in his decision-making, but his scoring ability and positional size clearly translate, and his efficiency proved to be better than advertised.
Among college freshmen to come out of major conferences since 2000, Johnson’s 19.9 points per game ranks No. 10 behind the likes of Trae Young, Markelle Fultz, Cam Thomas, RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson. Eight of the nine players above him on the list were drafted inside the top seven, seven of the nine were selected inside the top five and four of the nine were picked No. 1 overall.
The only player who scored more and was taken outside the lottery was Cam Thomas, who the Nets selected with pick No. 27 in 2021.
Beyond Cooper Flagg, the 2025 NBA Draft appears to be wide open. Johnson is among a handful of prospects very much in the mix to be the No. 2 pick. Johnson will have to prove to teams he is more than just a scorer and adds versatility on offense as a playmaker. Like other gifted scorers, proving he can fit within a system and not forcing the issue to get himself looks may be another area teams consider.
