Since the departure of John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards have desperately been searching for a franchise player they can build around.
Washington took a swing on the slim chance that Jordan Poole could develop into that player with an increased role.
They even selected Alex Sarr at No. 2 overall last offseason hoping that he could be that player for them, and while he still could be, early signs point to the realstic fact that the 7-footer may not be a franchise player but instead an above average rotation player or a two-way stud at his best.
Regardless of what Sarr develops into, the idea that he could be a 1A option for the Wizards seems far fetched.
Which is exactly why fans were riding on hope of this poor regular season showing for Washington that they could potentially land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Land the top pick and then select Cooper Flagg to save the organization from mediocrity. Sounds easy, right?
The Wizards thought so too, but after a buzzer beater win from the Wizards in the regular season finale, the team's worst-case scenario deemed to come true after they slid completely out of the top five as a whole in the NBA Draft Lottery.
Fortunately, general manager Will Dawkins managed to dodge a bullet on draft night when Tre Johnson slid out of the top five landing with the Wizards at No. 6 overall.
Throughout the entire NBA Draft process, Johnson was one of the biggest risers of any prospect. In fact, the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly heavily considered taking the Texas star with their third overall pick before ultimately deciding to take VJ Edgecombe.
Johnson quickly showed why the hype surrounding him was beginning to grow during his play in the Summer League for the Wizards, where he averaged 19.5 points per game.
Not only did his play raise expectations of the front office, but it began to increase hope from fans that he could be the player to save their franchise.
However, it's not just Wizards' fans who are high on Johnson.
According to ESPN Analyst Tim Legler, he believes that Johnson will not only finish on the First-Team All-Rookie team, but he could make a run at winning the Rookie of the Year Award.
Legler made it clear that he feels Johnson's skillset could allow for him to make an immediate impact during his rookie season and in large part due to his natural scoring ability.
Johnson has a lot to prove entering his rookie season, but one thing for sure is expectations are high.