Returning from injury with elite shot-making skills, the 20-year-old guard poised to anchor Washington’s revamped bench may become the youngest Sixth Man of the Year in NBA history.
After adding Trae Young, Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa this past offseason, the Washington Wizards are gearing up for their biggest season in over half a decade.
With an abundance of both veteran and young players, Washington has more than enough talent to make a playoff push during the 2026-27 season. However, not all players can start, poising the question of who will be Washington's sixth man and spark plug off the bench.
Washington saw significant growth from Will Riley throughout his rookie season and are very high on him. They also added veterans Khris Middleton and DeAndre Ayton to stabilize the bench unit.
However, I believe Tre Johnson is due for a massive breakout season, and will be Washington's go-to bench spark plug and sixth man.
Mike Watters-Imagn ImagesDue to his pure shooting and shot creation ability, Johnson was one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft, and Washington took a chance on him.
After a strong start to his rookie campaign, Johnson dealt with injuries around the midway point of last season including an ankle sprain and hip flexor strain that would slightly affect his production.
Johnson averaged 12.9 PPG on 38.6% from beyond the arc prior to the all-star break, but saw a significant decrease in his shooting efficiency post all-star break as he would average 10.9 PPG on 29.7% from deep.
However, Johnson is healthier than ever heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, and is expected to be a crucial bench piece for Washington.
Johnson's scoring and ability to get hot is ideal for Head Coach Brian Keefe who can use him as a bench spark plug, while occasionally getting playing time with the starting unit.
Johnson will be expected to carry the bench rotation that includes Will Riley, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Khris Middleton, DeAndre Ayton and others. Although this unit doesn't necessarily have a true playmaking guard, it will give opportunities for Johnson to operate as a primary ball handler and off-ball shooter.
At only 20 years-old, Johnson has an opportunity to be the youngest sixth man of the year award winner in NBA history, as the youngest is Ben Gordon who won the award at 21 years-old during the 2004-05 season.
While Johnson is only entering his second full season in the league, I expect him to do big things this year and expect him to play a pivotal role in Washington's current and future success.
