The Washington Wizards have done their part to bring in young talent throughout the beginning stages of their much-needed rebuild.
Not only did Washington get aggressive last offseason during the NBA Draft bringing in three young players in Alex Sarr (No. 2 overall pick), Bub Carrington (No. 14 pick) and Kyshawn George (No. 24 pick), but they also remained aggressive scanning for talent ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February.
Washington dealt one of their longest tenured Wizards in Kyle Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline. And while Khris Middleton was obviously the headline of the players that returned to D.C., the Wizards quietly snagged another former first-round pick in the deal when they landed AJ Johnson.
Johnson is a raw talent, but he has such a high ceiling that his development on Washington could truly turn things around.
Can AJ Johnson be the guy?
AJ Johnson was drafted with the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, one pick ahead of Washington's Kyshawn George.
The guard was a four-star prospect out of high school and originally committed to the University of Texas before deciding that a fit overseas could be better for his development. Johnson signed with the Illawara Hawks in Australia's NBL, where he was coached by NBA superstar Jayson Tatum's father, Justin Tatum.
Johnson played in 26 games with the Hawks, averaging only 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists in only 7.7 minutes per game. Despite not seeing much action overseas, the young playmaker was still drafted in night one of the draft because scouts saw the potential he has if he can continue to develop.
So far, the 6-foot-5 guard has struggled to showcase what he has to offer consistently, but his flashes have kept fans encouraged up to this point. In the Wizards most recent loss to the Toronto Raptors, the 20-year-old put together a career-game with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, while shooting 55.6% from field goal range.
Over the recent stretch, head coach Brian Keefe has given the guard more opportunity to play and he's delivered on a nightly basis showing flashes of what he can develop into. Averaging 7.5 points, 3.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds throughout his 11 games with Washington, it's clear he has a ways to go, but the talent is there for him to develop into a more than solid NBA player.
Johnson's ceiling is unbelievably high, but his floor is also very low. It's up to him and the Wizards to approach his development the right way. Whether he can be a star is yet to be seen, but he certainly has the tools to be.