The Charlotte Hornets have had enough time to process the lottery results that will have them picking fourth in this summer's draft. Of course, the team and its fans likely would have wanted to draft higher. Fortunately, there is still elite talent available for the team to select at No. 4, including VJ Edgecombe, who would be a slam dunk choice for the Hornets if he's still available once they're on the clock. If not, another swingman would be an ideal addition for Buzz City.
One of the best shooters in the draft, Tre Johnson, could be a great pick-up for Charlotte. The freshman guard out of the University of Texas comes in at 6-4.75 barefoot with a 6-10.25 wingspan. Johnson shot 68 percent at the combine on all jump shooting. He displayed quick and clean mechanics from long range and left a strong impression. He also tested well athletically. Per ESPN, he registered a 37.5-inch vertical, with Edgecombe being the only prospect measuring higher.
Offense
Johnson led the SEC, the best conference in college basketball this season, in scoring while being one of the best tough shot-makers in all of college basketball. He shot 40 percent from behind the arc on 6.8 attempts. He helped will a lackluster Texas roster to the NCAA Tournament play-in game this year, exploding in conference play, averaging 23.0 points per game.
The Texas native is extremely shifty with the ball in his hand as well. He has an elite spin move, which he uses to get to the basket, and a step-back he has whipped out from time to time to create enough space to cash over defenders. His level of shooting and shot creation, as well as ball handling, are all things the Hornets desperately need.
The Hornets were bottom-three in every shooting efficiency stat other than the corner 3 this season and finished dead last in effective field-goal percentage. They did that all while shooting the 11th most 3-pointers in the league, which lets you know that the team needs efficient outside shooters.
Johnson has also shown the ability to get to the basket and be shifty inside. While it isn’t the cornerstone of his game, it could be something that could also very much benefit the current Charlotte roster.
Defense
The defensive side of the ball may not be the selling point of Tre, but there is real upside there. Johnson has all the physical and mental tools to excel as a two-way player, and he did show flashes at Texas. He was great at jumping passing lanes while reading the movements of opposing offenses and used his athleticism to stay in front of ball handlers. He was good at using his plus wingspan and leaping ability to influence shots inside by smaller players.
Johnson also had most of the offensive responsibility for Texas. This limited the energy he had on the defensive side of the ball. He will not have nearly that role in Charlotte, which will allow him to share the wealth of energy on both sides of the ball.
NBA Comparisons
The NBA comps for Johnson are all offensive maestros. His ceiling is often said to be Tyler Herro, a shifty guard, tough shot maker, and a capable facilitator. Johnson has Herro beat at almost every stat coming as a freshman out of the University of Kentucky. Still, Herro has improved almost every season. If Johnson can show consistent improvement like Herro, he could end up in a similar spot.
Another more realistic comparison for Johnson is Nick Young. Young was a solid role player who had a long career as a shot-creating wing. He was a career 38.0-percent 3-point shooter who averaged 11.4 points per game with a season high of 17.9 points per game.
Fit in Charlotte
The Hornets are a team that wants to shoot 3-pointers. They attempted the 11th most 3-pointers this season, which is all well and good until you see that they were the second-worst team at converting those shots in the entire NBA.
The Hornets' head coach, Charles Lee, is a product of Mike Budenholzer and Joe Mazzulla, two guys who emphasize the 3-point shot. Adding the talent of Johnson to this roster would be amazing for the offense.
He is also another ball-handler to put next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Miller is someone who still has to work on his ball-handling at the NBA level, but due to a wrist injury, he missed half of the 2024-25 regular season and could miss most of the summer to develop that ball-handling. Bringing in Tre would help take some of the pressure off Miller. The offensive potential of a one-through-three of Ball, Miller, and Johnson has to get Hornets fans excited.
Drawbacks
Adding a talent like Tre Johnson should have a lot of fans excited, but he isn’t a perfect product. His defense has shown flashes, but it has been anything but stellar. While his offensive load was heavy at Texas, there are concerns that his defense will show little to no improvement in the NBA.
His shot selection is also comprised of a lot of very tough looks. There is a hope that he doesn’t have to take as many of those shots at the next level, but there is a world where he chooses to settle for those tough looks in the pro ranks.
Johnson's playmaking also leaves much to be desired, but he has shown real flashes of making timely passes during drives and double teams. However, it is yet to be determined if he will be able to do that and more at the next level as a secondary ball-handler.
Conclusion
During his draft interviews, Johnson was asked how he can make such tough shots. He answered, “I think it's more of just a mental thing, just being able to do the same thing over and over. For sure, I think that's really all it is. Guys know how to make shots, but if you can do the same thing, mentally over and over to make the shot, I feel that's all it really is to it."
The 19-year-old was then asked how he is so good at shooting off the dribble, and he just said, "That’s something I work on."
This dude is a master of his craft. Other guys will tell you they make shots because they can; he tells you he can make shots because he is constantly working. That is the "Hornets DNA" the front office and coaching staff are dying for.