Tre Johnson Goes Viral for Wild Play at NBA Summer League

Washington Wizards rookie Tre Johnson showed early on in his NBA Summer League debut Friday night in Las Vegas that he's well worth the hype after being the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The former Texas Longhorns guard finished with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists on 7 of 13 shooting in a 103-84 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Despite his efficient night that showed off his special shooting ability, Johnson made the highlight reels for a different reason, as he had what could end up being one of the best plays in this year's edition of Summer League.

Tre Johnson's Rare Play vs. Khaman Maluach

In the first quarter, Johnson picked up a steal and started to push the ball upcourt before stopping at the top of the 3-point line where he was met by Suns rookie big man and No. 10 overall pick, Khaman Maluach.

Johnson pump-faked and successfully got Maluach to jump but also forced him to pick up the dribble. Instead of passing it out, Johnson appeared to intentioanlly quickly bounce the ball right off of Maluach's lower leg and back to himself, allowing for an easy path to the rim with the defense frozen.

"Well you don't see that very often at the 3-point line," ESPN on-air analyst Tim Legler said during the broadcast. "Throw it off of somebody and get it back for yourself."

HE PASSED IT TO HIMSELF OFF THE DEFENDER'S LEG 😱

Tre Johnson is in his bag 🎒 #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/L3F04HaLGP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 12, 2025

Despite how slick the play looked, Johnson admitted afterwards that it was accidental. He was trying to pass it out but things played out differently than he expected.

"I thought Will [Riley] was going to keep going down to the paint," Johnson said. "So I tried to still throw it to him even when I stopped. And then I saw it go into [Maluach's] leg, so I just kept running with the ball."

While it's not too rare to see NBA or college players throw the ball off of unaware defender during inbound passes, Johnson's play was certainly one that has been few and far between over the years.

One could argue that it should have been called a kick ball against Maluach, but where's the fun in that? Now Johnson's highlight will be remembered in Summer League highlight reels for seasons to come, regardless of whether or not it was intentional.

Prior to the game, Johnson told ESPN that he's looking to bring an all-around game to the Wizards despite being known for his elite scoring prowess.

"Just a competitive player, somebody that's trying to play on both ends, make others around me better, and also score," Johnson told ESPN.

Johnson and the Wizards will play their second game in Las Vegas on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets.