2023 NBA Free Agent Position Series: Shooting Guards

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertApril 11, 2023
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© USA TODAY Sports

Spotrac’s Free Agent by Position Series

Point Guards   |   Shooting Guards   |   Small Forwards   |   Power Forwards   |   Centers

2023 NBA free agency is right around the corner. This isn’t considered to be a blockbuster free agent class, but there are several impact players available. In these rankings, we took a similar approach to the one many teams use when it comes to ranking available players. Each position was broken down into tiers. The tiers are:

  • All-Star: These aren’t all necessarily All-Stars, but they have the ability to be an All-Star
  • Starters: These players are either starters or they produce at a starter-level of impact
  • Rotation: These are solid players that should be in a team’s regular season rotation
  • Fringe: These are players at the end of the bench or Two-Way players largely in the G League

Players were then ranked within their tiers. All potential free agents have been ranked, including those with pending options.

ALL-STAR TIER

  1. James Harden – Philadelphia 76ers    PLAYER

    Harden is the best available free agent. He's still an All-NBA level guy, even if he's starting to show signs of slipping. You'll get an All-Star level playmaker for at least the next two years, provided you can also afford the latter years.

STARTER TIER

  1. Bruce Brown Jr. – Denver Nuggets    PLAYER

    Brown isn't shooting quite as well as he did with the Nets a season ago, but he's been very good in every other phase of the game. He can start or come off the bench. He's a good defender 1-3 and a good playmaker. All that = paid.

  2. Jordan Clarkson – Utah Jazz    PLAYER

    Clarkson was in the midst of a career-year with the Jazz before getting shut down with an injury. Even as he approaches his early-30s, he should maintain pleny of value as a bench scoring combo guard, which is his ideal role.

  3. Josh Hart – New York Knicks    PLAYER

    Hart has had his best all-around season, even if his scoring is down from than previous years. That's a volume thing, because Hart is shooting, rebounding, passing and defending better than ever. He's a high-value free agent.

  4. Austin Reaves – Los Angeles Lakers    RFA

    Reaves has been a breakout player for the Lakers. He's much more than a shooter, as he can handle, pass and get himself to the line with regularity. He's a very interesting Arenas Provision guy for cap space teams to chase.

  5. Gary Trent Jr. – Toronto Raptors    PLAYER

    Trent's play has slipped a bit, as he's dealt with injuries and a crowded Raptors rotation. At his best, Trent is an elite 3&D wing. He's only 24 years old too, so there should be a lot of good years coming.

  6. Caris LeVert – Cleveland Cavaliers    UFA

    Now that he's not being asked to lead an offense, LeVert has regained some of his efficiency. He's probably best as a high-usage bench player, but that's a role that has value. The Cavs may struggle to replace him if he leaves.

  7. Malik Beasley – Los Angeles Lakers    CLUB

    Over the last two seasons, Beasley has become a three-point specialist. That's not necessarily the worst thing, but Beasley was becoming a pretty good all-around scorer. There's a good chance the Lakers pick up their option.

  8. Alec Burks – Detroit Pistons    CLUB

    Burks had another solid and productive season. The Pistons didn't trade him, so it's likely the Pistons are going to pick up their option. They intend to improve and want to have a veteran like Burks around their young roster.

  9. Donte DiVincenzo – Golden State Warriors    PLAYER

    It's no surprise that on a great offensive team that DiVincenzo is putting up a very efficient season. He's also done a nice job defensively, on the boards and as a passer. The Warriors may struggle to pay him enough to keep him.

  10. Max Strus – Miami Heat    UFA

    Strus looked like he was headed for a big payday after a big year last year, but his shot has fallen off a bit this season. The Heat will be wary after already paying Duncan Robinson. That could put Strus in play for other teams.

  11. Josh Richardson – New Orleans Pelicans    UFA

    Richardson remains a pretty good shooter and scorer. He can also hold his own defensively and do a little bit of playmaking. The Pelicans will probably let him go, but he'll be a nice MLE target for a contender that needs a wing.

ROTATION TIER

  1. Seth Curry – Brooklyn Nets    UFA

    In his early-30s, Curry is still an elite shooter. He doesn't offer much else, but that will get him a nice deal from a contender that needs a guard who can shoot.

  2. Jaylen Nowell – Minnesota Timberwolves    UFA

    After three years of upward momentum, Nowell dropped off this season. He battled injuries and an inconsistent role with the Wolves. Someone may take a flyer and hope they can get him back on track with part of their MLE.

  3. Talen Horton-Tucker – Utah Jazz    PLAYER

    Horton-Tucker tends to get a little overrated because he piles up counting stats. He plays both guard spots and can score, so there's value there. It's likely he'll opt in and play out the year on a retooling Jazz team.

  4. Matisse Thybulle – Portland Trail Blazers    RFA

    If Thybulle could shoot, he'd be far higher on this list. He's the best defender of this group, but his inability to hit shots makes him borderline unplayable when it counts. He did shoot 39% on threes with Portland though…

  5. Victor Oladipo – Miami Heat    PLAYER

    Oladipo has had a weird year. He's looked good at times, and like he's finished at other times. Injuries and age have caught up to Oladipo enough that he'll probably just pick up his option for next season and play it out.

  6. Josh Okogie – Phoenix Suns    UFA

    Okogie has been an outstanding story this season. After his career petered out in Minnesota, he's bounced back with the Suns. He's shot just well enough to complement his defense and that's kept him on the floor this year.

  7. Lonnie Walker IV – Los Angeles Lakers    UFA

    Walker has been a bust of a free agent signing for the Lakers. Enough so, that he fell out of the rotation. But it's not fully clear why. He's been efficient as a scorer. This is probably just a case of being a bad fit for player and team.

  8. Shake Milton – Philadelphia 76ers    UFA

    Milton has seen his role drop off a bit, as the Sixers have used other guards, but he's been very effective. This was his best shooting season since bursting onto the scene in 2019-20. Milton is a good fourth guard off the bench.

  9. Hamidou Diallo – Detroit Pistons    UFA

    Diallo sort of reinvented his game as the Pistons used him like an ultra small-ball big man. That could be a role a contender sees for Diallo moving forward, as he's never developed into the 3&D player many hoped that he would.

  10. Troy Brown Jr. – Los Angeles Lakers    UFA

    Brown has had the best year of his career with the Lakers. He's shot it well and defended enough that's been a regular rotation player all season. Whether that's earned him more than another minimum deal remains to be seen.

  11. Will Barton – Toronto Raptors    UFA

    Whether it's age or no longer having Nikola Jokic setting him up, Barton has fallen way off this season. He struggled with both Washington and Toronto. The track record says he'll get another shot as a bench scorer somewhere.

  12. Terence Davis – Sacramento Kings    UFA

    Davis has had a productive year in a designated-shooter role for the Kings. He may need to shoot it a bit better for that to be his long-term role, but someone will give him a crack at it.

  13. Javonte Green – Chicago Bulls    UFA

    It looked like Green was on the verge of locking in a rotation role with the Bulls before injuries wrecked his season. He's an uber athlete and his shot is coming along. A smart team will snag him and let him play in rotation role.

  14. Justin Holiday – Dallas Mavericks    UFA

    Holiday hasn't been able to find his shot since leaving Indiana. In his mid-30s, his opportunities are going to dry up if he can't find it this coming season.

  15. Damion Lee – Phoenix Suns    UFA

    Lee has had an outstanding shooting season for the Suns. He may be the best pure shooter of this group, non-Seth Curry division. That could get him more than a minimum deal from a team that is desperate for perimeter shooting.

  16. Ty Jerome – Golden State Warriors    UFA

    It's rare for a two-way guy to jump into the rotation tier, but Jerome has proven he deserves to be there. He's a good shooter and a solid secondary playmaker. A bigger role should await him next season.

  17. Romeo Langford – San Antonio Spurs    RFA

    Langford just can't stay healthy. It's been four straight injury-plagued seasons for him now. He'll only turn 24 at the start of the season, so someone will give him another shot. The talent is there if he can shake the injury issues.

  18. Austin Rivers – Minnesota Timberwolves    UFA

    In Year 11, Rivers was again productive. He's a good fourth or fifth guard, because he can play both spots and he's good even if he doesn't get regular minutes. That probably keeps him on a contender's bench next season.

  19. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Minnesota Timberwolves    RFA

    NAW feels like he's still a major work in progress. The jumper comes and goes, so he's not really a two. The playmaking has never gotten there, so he's not really a one. He still has some upside, but that's starting to wane too.

FRINGE TIER (UNRANKED AND PRESENTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

  1. Buddy Boeheim – Detroit Pistons    RFA

    Boeheim saw very few NBA minutes, even after the Pistons turned towards ping pong balls. His impact in the G League was mostly based around good, but not great shooting. He'll be lucky to get another two-way contract.

  2. David Duke Jr. – Brooklyn Nets    RFA

    Duke was a late converstion by the Nets. He had minimal NBA impact, but was outstanding in the G League. If he shot it better from the outside, Duke would be an NBA rotation player. Until then, he's a two-way guy.

  3. AJ Green – Milwaukee Bucks    RFA

    Green flashed some on- and off-ball skills in both the NBA and the G League. He's an outstanding shooter on spot-ups, on the move or off-the-dribble. Don't be surprised if he lands a standard deal before next season.

  4. Ron Harper Jr. – Toronto Raptors    RFA

    Harper didn't do much in the NBA, but showed off his all-around game in the G League. His shot is a work in progress, but the other skills are there. Harper is a guy someone should invest at least another two-way deal in.

  5. Johnny Juzang – Utah Jazz    RFA

    When the Jazz shut their regulars down late in the season, Juzang finally got some NBA minutes. He did ok, but didn't really build on a nice scoring season in the G League. Another year of seasoning in the minors is in order.

  6. Trevor Keels – New York Knicks    RFA

    Keels got into only three NBA games, and his G League impact was relatively muted too. He'll need to shoot it far better to get an NBA opportunity beyond a two-way deal.

  7. Wesley Matthews – Milwaukee Bucks    UFA

    It's been years of steady decline, but Matthews finally dropped out of being a regular rotation player. His shot is no longer reliable and his defense has fallen off. This might be the end of the line for a former 3&D prototype.

  8. Rodney McGruder – Detroit Pistons    UFA

    McGruder has been a great locker room presence for the Pistons for a few seasons now. He doesn't play much, but when he does he contributes. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him back in Detroit if there's a roster spot for him.

  9. Xavier Moon – Los Angeles Clippers    RFA

    Moon is undersized to be a shooting guard in the NBA. He's shown signs of developing his playmaking game, which could portend a switch to point guard. That would give Moon more value beyond being a solid G League player.

  10. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk – Charlotte Hornets    UFA

    Mykhailiuk can shoot. The problem is that's all he can do. And he doesn't shoot it at quite a high enough level to be a rotation player. Still, he'll probably snag another deal as a designated shooter on the minimum.

  11. Theo Pinson – Dallas Mavericks    UFA

    Pinson has earned his NBA deal by being a beloved teammate. That might keep him on the end of the bench, possibly with the Mavericks. He's perfect as a minimum salary player for the good locker room vibes.

  12. Lester Quinones – Golden State Warriors    RFA

    Quinones made very little NBA impact, but he was outstanding as a rookie in the G League. He'll probably go to training camp with outside chance of a standard roster spot, but a great chance at a two-way contract.

  13. Jared Rhoden – Detroit Pistons    RFA

    Rhodan did fine with a handful of NBA minutes at the end of the regular season. What was more exciting was his shooting in the G League. If that maintains or improves, Rhoden will get a shot at a standard contract next season.

  14. Dru Smith – Brooklyn Nets    RFA

    Smith is undersized to be a two at the NBA level. He showed some flashes as an on-ball playmaker in the G League, which is encouraging. He's probably looking at another two-way deal, an more on-ball reps in the minors.

 

2023 NBA Free Agent Trackers

All Positions |  Point Guards |  Shooting Guard  |  Small Forward  |  Power Forward  |  Center 


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