As this season continues to be a disappointment for the Philadelphia 76ers, it may be time to look forward to this off-season.
A mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has the 76ers selecting Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson with the No. 6 overall pick. At 6’6, 180 pounds, Johnson is drawing comparisons to Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro.
“The degree of polish and execution with his self-creation and shotmaking diversity, which is backed up by reliable production, has generated a level of certainty tied to his scoring projection that’s becoming more valued in a draft range where uncertainly starts to creep in,” Wasserman wrote.
For the Longhorns this season, he is 12th in the nation in scoring with 20.2 points per game. Playing in a tough SEC, Johnson’s had a couple of breakout performances against the Kentucky Wildcats, South Carolina Gamecocks, and the Texas A&M Aggies.
NBA insiders and analysts are suggesting that they bench both Paul George and Joel Embiid for the season. It is mainly due to maintaining their top-six protected 2025 NBA Draft pick.
Philadelphia is one of the worst scoring teams in the league. Any scoring help they can get from free agency and/or the draft will be a plus. Johnson shoots 44 percent from the field and also shoots 37.5 percent from three-point range.
Former Longhorns star and current Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant has been taking notice to Johnson’s game as well.
“He’s conducting himself like a pro already. You could tell when I was at practice yesterday, just his work habits already at that level of focus that it needs to be at in order for you to be a great player for a long time. So just keep doing what he’s doing, and he’s gonna learn more about the game with more experience,” Zach Dimmitt of Sports Illustrated quoted.
The addition of Johnson provides a solid foundation to build around for the future in the backcourt alongside Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey. As a prolific scorer, he would be a great pick-up for Philadelphia moving forward. Especially if they decide to move George in the off-season.
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