I've been liking Tre Johnson a lot in everything I am reading and watching. I'm ready to not just throw it out there as an idea, but put my receipt on it as something we should do. The overall reasons are a) I think he can reach his higher end projections, b) he can impact on day 1 with his shooting and scoring (partially due to how little offense we have in the backcourt), c) we can fix his defense in ORL, and most importantly of all besides the first point, d) we need a cap sheet where 1-2 of the top 6 players in ORL are only on a rookie-scaled deal because of this Apron environment.
It's not time for an archetype that fits into ORL's strongest themes like VJ Edgecombe. It's time for an achetype that elevates ORL with new dynamics and star power like Tre Johnson.
The Player -
It all starts with Tre Johnson's 3PT shooting which is rather insane. The 3P% is fantastic with a big end of year stretch above 41%, and more importantly, it withstood the test of bigger games in his lone season. He literally can shoot lights out in any scenario from guarded off the dribble, to off the ball movement, and catch and shoot.
He's not just a 80% FT shooter too, he was actually at 90%+ a lot instead.
In that something of around his last 7-10 games he was at an average of 23, 4 and 4. So he was literally even picking it up as a Point Guard with a primary scoring threat.
He lacks strength and directness in many of his drives, but what is statistically an anomaly to me is that his FT Attempts just kept creeping up and up too. He was a FT monster. He broke like 3 of Kevin Durant's records at Texas too, and he gets comparisons to players like Jordan Clarkson, Anfernee Simons, Jamal Crawford and finally Devin Booker at the higher end of projections. He himself studied the heck out of Kevin Durant at first, to then moving on to studying Devin Booker like a bible.
Looking at this shot chart, it's red hot zones in the Mid Ranges just the same as in 3PT land. The way he attacks in half court is terrifying too. He has tricks and pull ups for a dribble in no space available. And if you do give him space, even to go backwards above the 3 line, he likes to rev up for a fast drive but with stop on a dime moves at any point too. That's star power right there, when you're a sniper and can excel off the ball but the threat of your drive and on-dribble scoring is too scary as well. And having a 6'6 guard to defend is a big problem. Because ORL's other top scorers are 6'10 or so.
Why he is #6 in some mocks is because his Defense looks bad. Could he also be just some microwave bench scorer with poor defense? Maybe, but his physical profile is 6'6 with a great 6'10 wingspan. Identical to Dylan Harper. That's fantastic size for both 1 and 2 next to Suggs. I also think ORL and Mosely is the place to really punish and push Tre into a respectable defender like Nesmith and NAW have grown better into. Tre will also never give up points due to be shot over like the myriad of 6'3 and under Point Guards out there. And that is just as important. I used to remember a lateral movement pad exercise in the RDV. That's something I'd put Tre in every day. And to force him to defend Suggs and Franz every practice too with side coaching.
In one interesting way, Tre reminds me of the Luka and Haliburton drafts that I put my receipts on too. We had so little true playmaking that I was super antsy to trade into either player EVEN on some of their lower and middle end projections/comparisons. In the same way, we have so little true scoring in the Roster outside of our Core 3 pieces. It's basically only Mo Wagner (OUT) and Cole Anthony after them. So Tre can fix that massive weakness and I would not pass up on players like Coby White, Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton still either, but only if their next contract was a consensus of a steal. We don't need to back ourselves into a bad contract anymore.
The Deal -
I think the '26 ORL 1st with its Swap rights has gotten so juicy that we are easily in the conversation for a Tre Johnson pick if we wanted to. Add in #16 or #25, or a future ORL 1st from '28 and on. And then Cole Anthony as the Expiring deal for it, with the young Jett Howard as the incoming team's own little Tre Johnson type experiment (also on Expiring). I think that is a great trade framework right there. I think AB is someone we can even keep out, but put in if we really have to (maybe to save a future 1st or something).
If we have to dig deeper or change up the framework, then Goga is a sweet 2 year deal, and KCP is also a 2 year deal too and a highly coveted FA team piece from just last summer. 26 year old WCJ is the biggest commitment in a deal with 3 years, but none of them reach 20 mil a year. And JI is a joker card as one of the best trade chips in the league after next season. Not only do you get an All Defense impact many nights, but his contract is almost half-guaranteed one year, and then completely unguaranteed in two other years. He's a walking Trade Exception++ who can be Aggregated WITH other contracts while helping you win games with his defensive impact. All of that assumes he plays like today too, because if he gets healthier and faster like a few years ago, then he starts being a top 3-4 piece in ORL again or for someone else. He's another piece like AB we want to keep out, but put in if we really have to.
There will also be some interesting player swap ideas to go with trading into a #3-#7 pick for Tre Johnson. Which might upgrade a couple ORL spots. From UTA, there is Sexton, Clarkson, and a dream for Kessler (maybe UTA doesn't like his new contract coming soon). From PHI, it's Oubre and Drummond. From CHA, there is Nurkic (whose elite Rebounding is needed in these Playoffs with backbreaking Offensive boards in every Series), Seth Curry, and Grant Williams. And from WAS, there is Brogdon SnT, Richaun Holmes, and Smart.
