Tre Johnson, a former five-star recruit and Link Academy star, was picked by the Washington Wizards with the No. 6 overall pick, capping off a stellar freshman season at Texas.
Two of his former Link Academy teammates reacted to the news on social media.
Tre Johnson Gets a Shout-Out From Jasper Johnson and Labaron Philon
Known for his smooth offensive game, deep shooting range, and high basketball IQ, Johnson was long considered one of the most NBA-ready players in his class.
Shortly after the Wizards selected him, Jasper Johnson, a top draft prospect himself, reacted with a simple “fingers crossed” emoji on Instagram.
Labaron Philon, a standout point guard, shared a clip of Johnson’s post-draft interview and wrote, “Clean on ’em. Family 4L.”
Tre Johnson played alongside Alabama’s Philon and Kentucky’s Jasper Johnson at the Link Academy in Branson, Missouri. He spent one year in Branson and was named a 2024 Jesey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Boys’ High School All-America Second Team selection.
During his time at the Link Academy, led by Bill Armstrong at the time, he played in a Nov. 2023 game against Springfield Central. With Tre at the helm, Link Academy reached the Chipotle Nationals semifinals in 2024. They lost to a Paul VI squad led by Duke’s Darren Harris.
Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen-led Montverde ultimately won the championship.
Tre scored 2,563 points during high school, starting in the Dallas area, and was the No. 5-ranked national player out of Link. He eventually committed to the Texas Longhorns.
In his first seven games, Tre averaged nearly 20 points per game, shooting 39.8% from the floor and 36.8% from deep.
Tre is now part of an elite club of former Lions to be drafted in the NBA. He follows Ja’Kobe Walter, Jordan Walsh, and Julian Phillips as NBA Draft selections, who went to the Toronto Raptors, the Boston Celtics, and the Chicago Bulls, respectively.
with the 6th pick in the 2025 @NBA Draft the @WashWizards select Tre Johnson 🤘#HookEm | #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/DIn6nFYQUK
— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) June 26, 2025
According to a USA Basketball announcement last week, Jasper was among the 12 players named to the USA under-19 team that will compete at the U19 FIBA World Cup. The team was drawn into Group D, where it will face Australia, France, and Cameroon.
Philon, meanwhile, impressed with Alabama as a freshman in the 2024–25 season, averaging 12.1 points on 51.4% shooting in his first 16 games. He declared for the 2025 NBA draft, but later withdrew. Mock drafts published before his withdrawal had him as the highest-picked Alabama prospect, expected to be selected in the second round.
