Former Lake Highlands High School standout and Washington Wizards first-round pick Tre Johnson made a splash at his NBA Summer League debut on Friday.

Tre Johnson with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Draft Day. Courtesy of NBA.

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On July 11, Johnson went 7-13 from the field and 1-2 from the free throw line to amass 18 points in a 103-84 loss to the Phoenix Suns at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. The six-foot-six guard, lauded for his scoring ability ahead of the NBA Draft, tallied the second-most points by a Wizards player and made 3 of 5 three-point attempts. He also recorded three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

A highlight of the 8 p.m. CST game came when Johnson, while attempting to pass to teammate Will Riley, inadvertently passed the ball off Suns center Khaman Maluach’s calf to himself. He then took the ball to the rim for an easy layup.

The Lake Highlands product followed up on his strong debut showing with a 21-point performance as Washington rebounded in a 102-96 win against the New York Nets on July 13. He went 7-11 from the field, picked up five points at the free throw line and made two of six three-point attempts.

Defense has been identified as an area for growth in Johnson’s game by the media and the Wizards organization. To that end, the 19-year-old lottery pick has logged a steal in each of his first two summer league games.

“None of the coaches or the front office care if I score,” Johnson recently told The Athletic. “They just care if I play defense. That’s all they talk to me about. That’s all they really care about. I’ve just got to come out and make sure I’m putting (on) my (hard) hat on the defensive end. That’s the main part I’m worried about. Scoring really comes easy to me. I’ve just got to be in the right spots and make the shots. I’ve just got to be able to guard and defend.”

Johnson, who the Wizards selected with the No.6 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has chosen to wear No.12 for the Wizards. No.20, which he wore in honor of his father while at Texas and LHHS, is currently taken by Alex Sarr. He has also added the number three in Roman numerals after Johnson on his jersey to represent his full name: Richard Earl Johnson III.

For newer neighbors, Johnson won the state championship with the Wildcats in 2023. In his first season at Texas, he was named SEC Freshman of the Year and led the team in scoring.

The Wizards will next tip off at 7:30 p.m. CST on Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Author

  • Austin Wood

    Austin Wood is the Lake Highlands editor for The Advocate. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University, where he wrote for The Daily Toreador. A lifelong resident of Lake Highlands, Austin loves learning about the neighborhood's history and hidden gems. You can email him at awood@advocatemag.com