Tre Johnson could be a surprise target for the Sixers
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Tre Johnson could be a surprise target for the Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers own the third pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Daryl Morey has an opportunity to add another exciting young talent to a roster that already boasts Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. In recent weeks, the Sixers have found themselves linked with multiple potential draft targets.
In a May 28 mock draft from Sports Illustrated’s Derek Parker, a new name emerged as a potential pick-up for the Sixers. Parker believed Tre Johnson could be a surprise selection for the Sixers at the third spot in the draft.
“At No. 3 we have our first major change up with me pivoting from consensus with the Philadelphia 76ers taking Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson,” Parker said. “I haven’t been shy in this cycle about liking Johnson’s game…He is a much better passer than people realize. And, he won’t stick out like a sore thumb on defense. Most importantly, he might be the best and most confident shooter in this class…Johnson, in my mind, could be the best and most seamless off-ball fit for this roster.”
Johnson, a 6-foot-6 guard, had an impressive debut season in the collegiate ranks. He ended the year with averages of 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Encouragingly, he also finished well at the free-throw line, knocking down 87.1% of his attempts.
Sixers Unlikely to Trade Out of Lottery
In a May 26 report, Marc Stein reported that the Sixers are unlikely to move “too far back” in the upcoming draft.
“League sources maintain that the Sixers are determined to add a dynamic young talent to their core after the tremendous fortune they enjoyed in the May 12 draft lottery,” Stein reported. “Such players are usually found by drafting (or in this case staying) as high as possible in the lottery.”
The Sixers could be tempted to explore the trade market for the third-overall pick. Nevertheless, Morey appears to understand the value of adding another high-level prospect on a cost-controlled deal. After all, having a young core for the future is never a bad thing.
Morey Recently Committed to Using the Third Pick
In a recent episode of NBC Sports Philadelphia’s “Take Off Podcast,” Morey made a commitment to use the third overall pick on draft night.
“Yeah, our plan is to pick this pick, yeah,” Morey said. “Yeah, I think the top few, top three, four, you could argue, five maybe. I mean, there are good players in this draft. The top of this draft, I think, I would say I was very fortunate to start my career in the 2003 draft. Which some argue is the best draft of all time, but I think it’s in the top five of high-quality players in the top of the draft in my career.”
Philadelphia would be wise to explore all of its options. There will undoubtedly be multiple teams around the league that are willing to trade into the third spot. As such, Morey will undoubtedly be fielding a significant number of phone calls. Whether Morey can resist the chance to add more assets to his stockpile will remain to be seen. However, the chance at a talent like Johnson or Ace Bailey may be too good to pass up.
After all, the Sixers’ current stars are aging veterans with injury issues. Building out a sustainable young core is a wise move. Doing so could mean Philadelphia avoids a long and drawn out rebuilding process in the future.