Wizards' AJ Johnson touts his ‘superstar’ potential after career night (2025)

The Washington Wizards will land a star prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft if they get lucky in the lottery, but they already have a player who thinks he can be “The Guy.” Rookie guard AJ Johnson has been a walking highlight reel recently, and his 20-point game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday was the peak of that, for now.

The 20-year-old sounded off about his capabilities after the 115-112 loss.

“I believe I can be a superstar 100 percent in this league,” he said. “I just gotta work my tail off every day, honestly. It's gonna take an everyday grind, doing all the little things. What I eat, what I watch, how I work is all gonna play into it.”

Johnson had a quiet night until the fourth quarter, when he tallied 14 points. The No. 23 overall pick made his final four shots all within the last 3:05, one of them being this reverse baseline dunk over Trendon Watford that got the home crowd roaring.

Johnson also hit a go-ahead three from the wing with 23 seconds left, which was Washington's (16-58) final bucket of the contest. The 6-foot-5-inch, 160-pounder took over at the end of the game despite playing the entire second half and 42 minutes in total, showing stamina on top of his athleticism and clutchness. Head coach Brian Keefe joked that the young player will “need a nap [on Sunday],” but “he's a fearless kid.”

For context, Johnson played just 45 total minutes for the Milwaukee Bucks before they traded him to the Wizards along with Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma on Feb. 5. The California native spent more time in the G League, playing 25 games for the Wisconsin Herd (Bucks' affiliate) and then five for the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards' affiliate) after the deal.

It initially seemed like Johnson would be more of a project than an immediate contributor, as he played just 7.7 minutes per game for the NBL's (Australian League's) Illawarra Hawks last season, and Washington already had several other young players on the roster. However, with injuries piling up and the organization prioritizing development over winning, it had nothing to lose by giving him consistent minutes in the big leagues.

That decision has been rewarding, as Johnson has scored double digits in four of his last seven outings and is averaging 9.6 points on 41.3 percent shooting with 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds across 26.4 minutes in March. The NBL's Next Stars alum is already a useful rotational piece despite his inexperience and has shown what he can do with extended playing time. His 20 points on Saturday were a career high and tied with Colby Jones for the most on the team, while his 17 points in Monday's 112-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors led the Wizards' bench.

Johnson also has 10 dunks in just 14 games with Washington, showing explosiveness around the rim. If he develops a consistent three-point shot to boot, the Bucks may regret trading him. He shot 3-of-7 from deep on Monday, but just 2-of-11 in the previous three games combined and 28.3 percent as a Wizard thus far.

Johnson undoubtedly has room to grow, but this is as good of a start an organization could ask for from such a green player.

AJ Johnson reflects on journey to Wizards

It's one thing for a young athlete to have physical talent, but success depends just as much on their mind, if not more. It's a good sign that Johnson emphasized attention to details such as his diet and film-watching, but he's also grateful for his journey so far.

“Being here, getting minutes in the NBA and competing versus high-level players has definitely given me the time to reflect and just see how far I've come,” he continued post-game. “My journey hasn't been the easiest, but I've just stayed focused and kept going, so I took some time to reflect. Definitely a blessing.”

Johnson's past few years have been a whirlwind. The combo guard started his high school career in Fresno before hitting a growth spurt and emerging as a top national recruit at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California, over the next couple of years. He then transferred to Kanye West's Donda Academy for his senior year but finished at Southern California Academy after Donda closed.

Johnson, who was rated a five-star prospect by Rivals and a four-star by 247Sports and ESPN, committed to Texas basketball over Louisville, USC, LSU, the NBL, and G League Ignite on Nov. 21, 2022. However, he decommitted on April 13, 2023, and announced his decision to play in Australia.

The Bucks then drafted Johnson last summer despite his sparse playing time with Illawarra, as his athleticism and explosiveness made him a worthy developmental piece. However, it seems like Milwaukee, and possibly the entire NBA, underestimated the high-flying slasher's potential.