AJ Johnson looked like something resembling a steal when Milwaukee drafted him. He was clearly a project player, but the flashes of brilliance he showed were all too compelling to pass up on.
Even when he did play for Milwaukee, the reasons were right there: elite athleticism, intriguing potential, all the physical tools you want. For a time, he looked like Doc Rivers' favorite player among the young Bucks.
Then reality hit, and now Washington's learning the same lesson the Bucks already figured out.
AJ Johnson is looking years away from being years away
AJ Johnson has averaged 1.0 point, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 7 games this season. Thus far, he's only played his way to five minutes per game. Even after all the potential, there's no clear path to rotation minutes for the youngster.
Wizards fans are learning a painful truth that the Bucks faithful know all too well: AJ Johnson is just too raw right now and may be for the foreseeable future.
That he can't crack their rotation even on a Wizards team that's actively tanking and desperate for young talent to develop should tell you all you need to know. When you can't get minutes on one of the worst teams in the NBA, that tells you everything about how far away you are from contributing.
Milwaukee cut bait early, and honestly, it made sense given their situation.
Now obviously, foolish management is exactly what got them into the second apron mess to begin with, but that's how it is. Johnson wasn't developed enough to justify his roster spot when Milwaukee's trying to maximize Giannis' championship window.
The Wizards probably thought they were getting a hidden gem when they parted ways with Kyle Kuzma for Khris Middleton and Johnson. Perhaps they saw his clips and saw, like many others did, a first-round talent who just needed opportunity and development time. Instead, they're watching him struggle to grasp basic NBA concepts while better players sit ahead of him even on a terrible roster.
Johnson's issues aren't about effort or athleticism. He's got those in spades. The problem is basketball IQ and polish. He doesn't know where to be defensively. His offensive game is all chaos with no craft. Those are fixable problems, but they take years to fix, not months.
Milwaukee didn't have years to give him. They needed rotation players who could contribute immediately, not projects who might pan out eventually. That's the harsh reality of competing with a superstar in his prime. Developmental timelines don't match championship windows.
Washington can afford to be patient because they're not trying to win anything this season. They'll give Johnson garbage time minutes, let him make mistakes, and hope something clicks eventually.
But the fact that even Washington isn't playing him meaningful minutes suggests the development curve is steeper than anyone anticipated. Maybe this isn't a guy who needs a few months in the G-League to figure things out. Maybe this is, instead, a multi-year project that might never even fully materialize.
Washington will keep trying to develop Johnson. Maybe he eventually becomes something. But right now, he's proving exactly why Milwaukee didn't think twice about trading him away.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.