After ranking the 27 best point guards in the NBA for 2026-27, today, we return to rank the same number of shooting guards, from No. 27 to No. 1.
The shooting guard position in the NBA today is somewhat strong with some All-Stars and All-NBA players at the top, but there’s only one player here we would be confident in saying that they can be the best player on a championship-caliber team.
Find out who that is, and who the 26 shooting guards we ranked behind him for next season are, below.
Just missed the cut: Shaedon Sharpe, Aaron Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski
27. Tre Johnson (Washington)
2025-26 stats: 12.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.6 spg, 41.9 FG%, 35.8 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $8,649,600 (197th overall)
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 draft, Tre Johnson had a fantastic one-and-done
campaign at Texas in the NCAA before declaring for the draft. At Texas, Johnson led the SEC in scoring at 19.9 points per game to go with shooting 39.7 percent from three, displaying a game with upside thanks to his ability to hit tough jumpers off the dribble.
And to this point, that game has translated to the NBA, as Johnson looked impressive in his first season in Washington. Johnson hit nearly 36 percent of his threes in his rookie campaign despite taking tough looks often, using the lift on his jumper and his long arms (Johnson boasts a ridiculous 7-foot wingspan) to hit difficult shots over even tight defending.
Johnson will need to keep working on his decision-making and playmaking, and his somewhat lacking first step could keep being a hindrance, but the former Longhorn does have a smooth scoring game off the dribble, which should continue to blossom on what’s become a surprisingly strong Wizards roster.
For the latest Tre Johnson news and rumors, click here.
26. Anfernee Simons (Philadelphia)
2025-26 stats: 14.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.5 spg, 44.0 FG%, 38.5 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $6,000,000 (244th overall)
Following a three-season stretch that saw him average 20.7 points and 4.7 assists per game on 37.4 percent shooting from three, Anfernee Simons took more of a role player job with the Boston Celtics last season, prior to a mid-year trade to the Chicago Bulls. As such, Simons’ numbers took a hit, albeit understandably so considering his new role in Boston, and the transition period he had in Chicago.
Now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Simons’ job will be more in line with what he was asked to do in Boston, which was come off the bench and make an impact with his shooting and overall scoring. Simons should excel in that role, as he has the ability to get hot at a moment’s notice with his shooting and provides a great change of pace off the bench when facing reserve defenders.
For the latest Anfernee Simons news and rumors, click here.
25. Christian Braun (Denver)
2025-26 stats: 12.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 51.9 FG%, 30.1 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $21,551,726 (84th overall)
It’s usually troubling when a player has a breakout season in a contract year and immediately follows it up with a harsh regression, but that’s exactly what happened to Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun.
After averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds on 47.3 percent shooting over his first two seasons, Braun broke out in 2024-25, putting up 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 58.0 percent shooting from the floor and 39.7 percent shooting from three. That led to Denver signing Braun to a five-year, $125 million extension right before the 2025-26 season.
So how did Braun perform immediately following the extension?
By trudging through an injury-plagued 2025-26 in which he averaged 12.0 points and 4.8 rebounds on 51.9 percent shooting from the floor and 30.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc in just 44 appearances.
Denver has to hope Braun can find that 2024-25 version of himself - and quickly - as the team is now going through CBA-related tax issues, with Braun’s contract being part of that. The Nuggets lost Peyton Watson for next to nothing this offseason due to those tax issues.
For the latest Christian Braun news and rumors, click here.
24. Reed Sheppard (Houston)
2025-26 stats: 13.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 43.0 FG%, 39.4 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $11,108,880 (164th overall)
Houston Rockets combo guard Reed Sheppard can play on or off the ball, scoring and playmaking at decent enough levels in both roles, though not quite at the star level yet even after being the third overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Still, Sheppard improved significantly from Year 1 to Year 2, going from averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists as a rookie to posting the stats above as a sophomore in the NBA. What the former Kentucky standout lacks in athleticism and size, he makes up for with his fantastic shooting touch from three and his ability to stop on a dime, pull up and knock down shots from the midrange as well.
Sheppard is adept at using screens to find openings in the defense to hit jumpers off the dribble, or to create for teammates, though he does struggle at times in isolation, as he does need picks to get open because he doesn’t have the elite burst or wiggle to shake NBA-level defenders.
On the other end, Sheppard is a surprisingly impactful defender, posting 1.5 steals per game last season, as he has a great nose for jumping passing lanes and picking pockets.
We’re not sure if Sheppard has that elite, All-Star-level ceiling due to his lack of elite size and athleticism, which is what you’d want out of a player you’re taking in the Top 3 of a draft, but we’re eager to see if he can make another jump in this, his third season.
For the latest Reed Sheppard news and rumors, click here.
23. Alex Caruso (Oklahoma City)
2025-26 stats: 6.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 42.3 FG%, 29.3 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $19,550,160 (95th overall)
One of the best guard defenders in the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder 2-guard Alex Caruso has one 1st Team All-Defense and one 2nd Team All-Defense under his belt thus far in his career.
Now 32, though, Caruso’s style of play - a very physically demanding one, as the veteran has never been one to be shy about putting his body on the line to earn his team extra possessions - might be starting to wear on him, as Texas native has suited up in just 110 regular-season games over the past two seasons. That’s not too low of a mark but it is something to monitor going forward, as Caruso gets older but continues to play in the same demanding style.
Caruso is coming off the best playoff run in his career, one that saw him average 11.0 points and 1.4 steals while shooting 44.6 percent from three over 15 games. Perhaps that’s in part what led to Oklahoma City deciding this offseason to keep Caruso but trade Lu Dort to Atlanta as it continues to combat the luxury tax.
For the latest Alex Caruso news and rumors, click here.
22. Keaton Wagler (LA Clippers)
2026-27 salary: $9,674,760 (180th overall)
After a spectacular one-and-done season at Illinois, one in which he averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 39.7 percent shooting from three and led the Illini to the Final Four, Keaton Wagler was drafted fifth overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Wagler will be a fascinating case in the NBA, as he has great size for his position at 6-foot-6 as well as a very tidy jumper extending out to the three-point line, not to mention good craft as a ball-handler and with his head fakes and pull-up scoring prowess, but he lacks athletically, both vertically and with his burst, and laterally, too. As such, it’ll be very interesting to see how he does against NBA-level athletes on a nightly basis. What’s more, what will Wagler’s role in the NBA be? Will he be a lead guard or more of an off-ball guard? Or perhaps a combo guard, blending both skill sets as scorer and creator?
Wagler’s first taste of NBA action in Summer League was just so-so, as he debuted with a seven-point, 1-for-7 outing in his first game, but after that, he showed why he was selected fifth overall, as he put up 23 points, 16 points and 26 points over his final three games of Summer League. Still, his shooting was inefficient in Summer League (he shot under 39 percent from the floor and just 33.3 percent from three), raising some eyebrows as to how he’ll do as a rookie this upcoming season.
Regardless, we’re clearly high on Wagler’s upside thanks to his smooth shot-making ability from three and the midrange, so we have him as one of the 27 best shooting guards in the NBA for 2026-27 anyway.
For the latest Keaton Wagler news and rumors, click here.
21. CJ McCollum (Atlanta)
2025-26 stats: 18.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 45.5 FG%, 37.5 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $21,000,000 (86th overall)
The second Hawks 2-guard on this list in a row, CJ McCollum did see his numbers take a dip last season. In fact, it was the first time since 2014-15 that McCollum didn’t average at least 20 points for a campaign.
Still, McCollum stepped up in the playoffs, proving he’s still got it when things matter most. In the 2026 postseason, the soon-to-be 35-year-old averaged 19.2 points while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, including a throwback 32-point explosion in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series between Atlanta and the eventual champion New York Knicks, a 107-106 win for the Hawks:
Although McCollum’s getting up there in age, he’s still got his shooting ability, which should keep him an effective starter for the foreseeable future. McCollum’s also got a quick crossover, stop-on-a-dime ability and knockdown midrange scoring, amounting to an overall skill set that isn’t overly reliant on athleticism, so we expect another good season out of McCollum in 2026-27.
It'll also be interesting to see how much lead guard McCollum ends up playing for Atlanta in 2026-27 with Trae Young now in Washington, as McCollum, the No. 17 player in this ranking and rookie Kingston Flemings will be the Hawks' main options to replace Young at point guard. A lot of the job may wind up falling on McCollum's shoulders, which could affect his output one way or the other. McCollum has always been an underrated playmaker, so we don’t worry about his ability to create for Atlanta teammates. More so, we wonder how having to bring the ball down while likely being guarded full-court will affect him. Could that tire him out and hurt his scoring, his most important trait? We’ll find out this season.
For the latest CJ McCollum news and rumors, click here.
20. Cedric Coward (Memphis)
2025-26 stats: 13.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.6 spg, 47.1 FG%, 33.8 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $6,001,080 (241st overall)
After being drafted 11th overall in the 2025 draft out of Washington State, Cedric Coward had a standout rookie campaign, one that saw him finish fifth in the Rookie of the Year vote. Coward ranked seventh amongst all rookies in nightly points per game and ninth in nightly rebounds last season, giving Memphis fans some hope for the future after a brutal run of things over recent campaigns.
Projecting as a high-end two-way role player as opposed to a future All-Star, Coward’s 7-foot-2 wingspan should help him make a big impact on the less glamorous end of the floor. He’s also got a pretty jumper, one that was quite effective in college, as Coward hit nearly 39 percent of his threes in the NCAA.
Coward is a heady player, too, one who won’t try to do too much but rather make the right pass and keep the ball moving, or look for his own shot when the situation calls for it. His story is an interesting one, too, as back in 2021-22, Coward was playing for D-III Willamette University, so his ascension has been an eye-catching one.
We think he’ll take a step forward in 2026-27.
For the latest Cedric Coward news and rumors, click here.
19. Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City)
2025-26 stats: 13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 48.5 FG%, 34.7 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $2,850,000 (363rd overall)
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell is another young ball-handler who broke out in 2025-26, earning Sixth Man of the Year votes for his regular-season contributions and improving even further in the playoffs.
Injuries hampered his output and ended his season early in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, but the crafty lefty with pull-up scoring ability was a beast in the first two rounds of the postseason, averaging 18.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 47.1 percent shooting in eight games against the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.
Mitchell’s breakout gave the Thunder, faced with difficulties against the tax, the confidence to trade away veteran guard options like Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe to lower their tax bill, while keeping the 24-year-old Belgian and his extremely team-friendly contract.
For the latest Ajay Mitchell news and rumors, click here.
18. Jalen Green (Phoenix)
2025-26 stats: 17.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 42.2 FG%, 31.3 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $36,251,166 (48th overall)
Former No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green went into last season with some hype, as he was about to play his first campaign with the Suns after spending his first four seasons with Houston.
Unfortunately for the young shooting guard, he spent most of the campaign injured, as Green was only able to suit up for 32 contests due to a plethora of ailments, including to his hamstring, his hip and his knee. So most important for Green in 2026-27 will be his health, as the Suns need his scoring punch to make noise in the West this upcoming campaign.
Green flashed some moments of brilliance last season, including a 36-point, four-steal showing in a 123-108 win for Phoenix over the Indiana Pacers on March 12. However, Green was poor in the 2026 postseason, averaging 21.8 points but on 38.6 percent shooting from the floor and 20.6 percent shooting from three.
Green is still just 24, so he’s young despite how long it has felt he’s been in the NBA, but he badly needs to figure out how to make a winning impact during his minutes and not just worry about scoring. An explosive athlete, Green does have some tough shot-making ability, but he’s not the most efficient with his scoring, boasting a career field-goal percentage of 42.2 percent. As such, he’s yet to be a positive-impact player in his career. Over his five seasons in the NBA, Green has a negative-4.8 swing rating.
There’s still time for Green to figure things out and reach a higher level as a player, but we’re going to have to see it to believe it at this point.
For the latest Jalen Green news and rumors, click here.
17. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Atlanta)
2025-26 stats: 20.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 45.9 FG%, 39.9 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $14,403,710 (132nd overall)
Over the first six seasons of his career, almost-28-year-old Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a role player through and through. In that stretch of time, Alexander-Walker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin, averaged 8.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 41.4/36.0/74.3 percent shooting splits, while providing some solid defense on the other end.
That’s what made his 2025-26, his first campaign with the Hawks, all the more impressive, as Alexander-Walker broke out in a rare way, upping his averages to 20.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game to go with 1.3 steals and 45.9/39.9/90.2 percent shooting splits. (Minnesota, Alexander-Walker’s former team, surely could have used that type of production alongside the player who finished No. 1 in this ranking.)
2026-27 for Alexander-Walker will be about proving his 2025-26 wasn’t a flukeish one-off, which we’re eagerly waiting to find out for ourselves. If he does keep up that level of play, or improve on it even further, we may be underestimating the two-way 2-guard with his place in this ranking.
For the latest Nickeil Alexander-Walker news and rumors, click here.
16. Zach LaVine (Sacramento)
2025-26 stats: 19.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.7 spg, 47.9 FG%, 39.0 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $48,967,380 (22nd overall)
After a relatively healthy 2024-25 that saw him make 74 appearances with the Bulls and Sacramento Kings, Zach LaVine took a step back last season, appearing in just 39 games. LaVine’s appearances weren’t overly impressive, either, as his 19.2 points per game were his lowest since 2017-18, while his 2.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds nightly were career-low marks.
LaVine, now 31, still has some three-level scoring juice and the ability to hit tough shots; his efficiency has also improved of late, as the former UCLA standout has hit 42.8 percent of his triples over the last two campaigns. But after all the injury troubles, LaVine’s athleticism has taken a hit, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever be that high-flying athlete he was in his prime. We’re banking on that probably not happening, though.
LaVine now heads into the final contract of his season, so it’ll be interesting to see if he’s still with the Kings by the trade deadline. We could easily see him agreeing to a buyout to join a contender by mid-season. If that were to happen, it would be just the second time in his career that LaVine makes the playoffs (thus far, he’s played in the postseason just once, a five-game defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks as a member of the Bulls in 2021-22), and using his three-level scoring, maybe he could have the first big playoff moment of his career this upcoming campaign.
For the latest Zach LaVine news and rumors, click here.
15. Dejounte Murray (New Orleans)
2025-26 stats: 16.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 48.4 FG%, 30.6 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $32,785,071 (56th overall)
In 2025-26, New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray returned from a brutal Achilles injury to make 14 appearances with the team, putting up similar numbers to his 2024-25 output (17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.0 steals).
Although Murray is more of a point guard, the emergence of young floor general Jeremiah Fears will very likely force New Orleans to play off the ball more in 2026-27, which might be tricky considering his struggles as an outside shooter. For his career, Murray has hit just 33.9 percent of his three-point attempts, while over the past two seasons (45 appearances), he’s at 30.1 percent accuracy from beyond the arc.
Maybe all the downtime Murray had from the injury led to him working on his outside stroke, and if that is the case, he could have a better-than-expected 2026-27 playing alongside Fears.
Regardless, when healthy, Murray can be one of the better guard defenders in the league thanks to his wingspan and toughness, and he’s also one of the best rebounders for his position in the Association. Couple that with his short midrange scoring and slashing ability overall, and you have a pretty solid starting guard.
At the end of the day, Murray’s 2026-27 output will come down to his health.
For the latest Dejounte Murray news and rumors, click here.
14. Cason Wallace (Oklahoma City)
2025-26 stats: 8.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.9 spg, 43.2 FG%, 35.1 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $7,421,121 (217th overall)
Although it may appear like Cason Wallace hasn’t improved much since getting to the NBA, at least judging by his raw numbers (Wallace has gone from averaging 6.8 points as a rookie to 8.4 points as a sophomore to 8.6 points most recently), that couldn’t be further from the truth, as the raw numbers don’t tell the entire story here.
Wallace has done well to develop into one of the most impactful guard defenders in the NBA, one so adept in his role that it gave the team confidence to trade Dort, another player with a similar role to Wallace’s and Caruso’s, to Atlanta.
Wallace was such an impactful defender last season that he finished seventh in the Defensive Player of the Year vote, earned 2nd Team All-Defense honors and made the Thunder 3.7 points per 100 possessions better during his time on the floor. He also really stepped it up offensively in the postseason, too, hitting 48.4 percent of his threes over 15 playoff games last year. For the regular season, Wallace ranked roughly as a Top 75 player in the NBA in VORP and BPM, even despite his mundane scoring average.
That leads us to think 2026-27 could be a breakout year for the former UConn Husky, which is why we have him ranked this high in this exercise.
For the latest Cason Wallace news and rumors, click here.
13. Ausar Thompson (Detroit)
2025-26 stats: 9.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.0 spg, 52.5 FG%, 25.0 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $11,118,130 (163rd overall)
The league leader in nightly steals in 2025-26, Ausar Thompson, much like his twin brother who is coming up later in this list, is an elite defender and rebounder out of the backcourt, but a flawed player offensively. The difference between the two Thompsons is that Ausar is way more of an off-ball player who can make an offensive impact, but prefers to do so off of cuts and slashes to the basket, rather than initiating his own offense as his twin brother is able to do.
Even so, Ausar Thompson’s offense is a huge work in progress, as the Thompson twin is shooting 20.4 percent from three for his career and averaging merely 9.6 points during his time in the league. On the other hand, he’s such a monster defensively that he made this ranking anyway, and in a pretty decent spot at that.
Thompson is one of just nine non-big men in league history to average at least 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks for the first three seasons of their career, joining the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the list, showing the historic level of defensive impact Thompson provides.
If Thompson can just become at least a serviceable outside shooter, his outlook changes mightily, too, so keep an eye on that in 2026-27.
For the latest Ausar Thompson news and rumors, click here.
12. Keyonte George (Utah)
2025-26 stats: 23.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.1 apg, 2.0 spg, 45.6 FG%, 37.1 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $6,563,608 (229th overall)
Although young Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George has run point pretty much exclusively his entire career in the NBA so far, we went with Darryn Peterson as the team's point guard for 2026-27. According to Peterson himself, he's a point guard (via Andscape):
“I am a point guard. I’m the best when I have the ball in my hands. Off the court, I’m going to be the best pro.”
That led to us putting George with the 2-guards here, even though he’s done well to develop as a lead guard during his time in the NBA. George has upped his assist average each season in the league, going from averaging 4.4 assists as a rookie to 6.1 assists last season. He is also a much-improved three-point shooter, going from 33.4 percent accuracy from three as a rookie to 37.1 percent in 2025-26.
So we think George and Peterson will take turns playing on or off the ball, something made simpler by how position-less today’s NBA is.
George makes up for his size-related and athletic limitations (his first step is just decent and his vertical explosiveness is not all that) by being a smooth scorer, one capable of navigating picks at a high level to find his spots and knock down jumpers, both from three and the midrange. He can also get to the basket and finish from time to time to keep defenses honest.
Getting to share the ball with a talent like Peterson should also help mask George’s weaknesses as a decision-maker. George’s 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio last season ranked just 178th in the NBA, behind the likes of D’Angelo Russell and Russell Westbrook, so getting him off the ball occasionally, where he’ll be able to focus on scoring and not creating, could help him reach an even higher level as a player.
For the latest Keyonte George news and rumors, click here.
11. Desmond Bane (Orlando)
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.0 spg, 48.4 FG%, 39.1 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $39,446,090 (45th overall)
Orlando Magic 2-guard Desmond Bane is at his best as an outside spot-up shooter, but he provides plenty of offense outside of spot-up shooting, including pull-up scoring and some drives to the basket when attacking strong closeouts.
Bane is a career 40.7 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and just this last season, he ranked in the NBA’s 81st percentile in spot-up shooting, producing 1.18 points per possession on such looks.
Even so, and through no fault of his own, Bane’s first season in Orlando was disappointing, not from an individual perspective but as a team, as many expected Bane’s addition via trade to help the Magic turn into true Eastern Conference contenders. Instead, the Magic went 45-37, were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and then fired now-former head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Regardless, it’s impossible to fault Bane for that, as he was the exact player Orlando acquired from Memphis, both with his raw numbers and his impact. Bane made the Magic 4.8 points per 100 possessions better during his time on the floor in 2025-26, and ranked as almost a Top 40 player in the league, according to VORP.
Is that kind of production enough to warrant his price tag in the trade with Memphis and for the Magic to pretty much lock themselves into their current roster? That remains to be seen. Perhaps under first-year head coach Sean Sweeney, Bane and the Magic will go up a tier in the East in 2026-27.
For the latest Desmond Bane news and rumors, click here.
10. Tyler Herro (Milwaukee)
2025-26 stats: 20.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 0.7 spg, 48.0 FG%, 37.8 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $33,000,000 (55th overall)
Part of the reason we have Tyler Herro ranked this highly is because he’s set to be the unquestioned top option on the Milwaukee Bucks next season, a luxury he didn’t always have in Miami, so we could see his individual numbers spiking in 2026-27.
On top of being Milwaukee’s top option on offense, he’ll have the added motivation of being traded by Miami after seven years with the team, and after multiple seasons of seeing his name in the thick of trade rumors. Herro is also originally from Milwaukee, so he won’t be lacking in any sort of motivation to show out for his hometown team.
Herro is primarily a three-point and midrange sniper, one who hits shots with aplomb off the dribble from both levels. His jumper is smooth and pure, and his game is confident on offense, so we could see him putting up numbers in Year 1 in Milwaukee. He's also an underrated rebounder and playmaker for his position, knowing when to hit dump-down passes to rolling bigs or swing the ball to another open shooter when defenses collapse on him.
Of course, Herro does have some warts to his game, primarily with his inability to stay healthy and, at times, with his accuracy as a shooter. Herro is shooting merely 37.6 percent from three over the last two seasons, and he appeared in just 33 regular-season games in 2025-26 and 42 in 2023-24. He’s also historically been a playoff dropper, averaging just 14.6 points and 3.3 assists on 32.8 percent shooting from three in his career, though that might not be an issue over the next couple of campaigns in Milwaukee as the team rebuilds post-Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Even so, we should see a very motivated Herro in 2026-27, so keep an eye out on the former Kentucky Wildcat this upcoming season.
For the latest Tyler Herro news and rumors, click here.
9. Derrick White (Boston)
2025-26 stats: 16.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.3 bpg, 39.4 FG%, 32.7 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $30,348,000 (60th overall)
One of the best defensive guards in the NBA, Derrick White plays a bit on or off the ball depending on the possession, though he’s at his best as a secondary playmaker.
White has earned Defensive Player of the Year votes each of the past three seasons, peaking last year when he finished sixth in the vote, while earning 1st Team All-Defense honors for the first time in his career. White has two other 2nd Team All-Defenses in his career and is averaging a full block per game for his career, a hard-to-fathom number considering White is merely 6-foot-4.
Although Dwyane Wade is rightfully known as the shot-blocking king among guards in league history, White is on his tail. Wade ranks first all-time in career blocks by a player standing 6-foot-4 or shorter with 885. White ranks third in the defensive stat with 544, with plenty of career left to go. White has blocked 265 total shots over the past three seasons, so if he can keep up that pace, it’ll take him another three seasons and change to pass Wade in career blocks.
White is such an impactful defender that even despite the fact his offense fell off a cliff efficiency-wise last season (White shot just 39.4 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from three in 2025-26), he still ranked Top 25 in both VORP and BPM last season.
A player who can score off of slashes, spot-up shooting, drives using floaters and pull-up midrange jumpers, as well as rebound and create at respectable rates, White is a two-way menace for the Boston Celtics.
For the latest Derrick White news and rumors, click here.
8. VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia)
2025-26 stats: 16.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.4 spg, 43.8 FG%, 35.4 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $11,663,880 (159th overall)
Second-year 2-guard VJ Edgecombe’s outlook for 2026-27 could rely, to an extent, on how the team plans to utilize LeBron James. James could very well play point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, which gets tricky because both Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey will need a lot of the ball, too. That’s without even mentioning the newly acquired Jaylen Brown and star big man Joel Embiid.
Edgecombe himself said he’s not entirely sure how his role will change in 2026-27 with the James-Brown additions (via the Philly Inquirer):
One of the concerns with the addition of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in this momentous offseason is how those moves may affect the trajectory of Edgecombe, who at 21, will be entering his second season but could see a significant shift in his role. To hear Edgecombe talk at the camp, that’s not really a worry for him. Any chatter that his development may stall or he might grow unhappy with a reduced role is just talk. “I mean, it don’t matter what happens, there’s always going to be someone that has something to say,” Edgecombe said. “But I just want to win. I’m going to still be aggressive, still be myself. If that comes with less shots or more shots, who knows. I don’t know how the course of the game is going to go. I’m just excited to play alongside my teammates. I think we have a chance to do something really special.”
Edgecombe surely has spent and will continue to spend a lot of the offseason working on his outside jumper, as he’s going to get a ton of wide-open spot-up looks with the new-look Sixers, an area where he was respectable, especially for a rookie, in 2025-26. Edgecombe was in the NBA’s 67th percentile as a spot-up shooter last season, producing 1.10 points per possession on the play type.
Besides that, Edgecombe’s 2026-27 will be fun to watch; his explosiveness as a slasher and finisher around the basket as a first-year player was astounding, and we only expect it to get better next season. Edgecombe is also a good rebounder and playmaker for his position, and a disruptive defender, averaging nearly a steal-and-a-half per contest as a rookie.
We expect big things in the future for the Bahamian shooting guard, as Edgecombe flashed an All-Star, if not future All-NBA, type of ceiling in his first NBA campaign. We just hope the Sixers aren’t so loaded that Edgecombe’s opportunities are the ones to get sacrificed.
For the latest VJ Edgecombe news and rumors, click here.
7. Kon Knueppel (Charlotte)
2025-26 stats: 16.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.4 spg, 43.8 FG%, 35.4 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $10,516,560 (171st overall)
A player who made a strong run at Rookie of the Year last season, finishing second in the race to his former college teammate and a historically great young talent in Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel was spectacular as a first-year player, boasting a smooth overall game as a scorer, not just shooter.
Still, Knueppel’s shooting is his best trait, as the Milwaukee native hit 42.5 percent of his threes on a staggering near-eight nightly attempts. In fact, Knueppel just had the best high-volume shooting season for a rookie in league history. Among players with at least six nightly three-point attempts in their inaugural NBA campaigns, Knueppel’s 42.5 percent shooting is the tidiest mark in NBA history, with the next-closest player (Keegan Murray) being 1.4 percent behind (41.1 percent). Third place? Second-year Brooklyn Net Egor Demin at 38.5 percent, showing just how far above the rest of the field Knueppel was as a rookie.
Knueppel ranked in the NBA’s 87th percentile as a spot-up shooter last season, creating 1.22 points per 100 possessions on those looks, a higher mark than the likes of Payton Pritchard (1.21 PPP), Jalen Brunson (1.20 PPP) and Bane (1.18 PPP). Knueppel was also an effective pull-up shooter, boasting a 56.6 effective field-goal percentage on those looks, a healthier rate than the reigning league MVP Gilgeous-Alexander (56.2 percent).
Not only is Knueppel an elite spot-up shooter, but he can also attack strong closeouts well and finish at the basket or hit pull-up midrange jumpers, as well as create looks for teammates on his forays inside the three-point line. All in all, the 21-year-old has huge upside offensively thanks to his shooting range and accuracy, and his emergence undoubtedly led to Charlotte being more comfortable with trading former franchise cornerstone LaMelo Ball.
For the latest Kon Knueppel news and rumors, click here.
6. Stephon Castle (San Antonio)
2025-26 stats: 16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 7.4 apg, 1.1 spg, 47.1 FG%, 33.2 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $10,015,920 (176th overall)
We project that after Dylan Harper’s impressive first season in San Antonio and De’Aaron Fox’s presence on the team, Stephon Castle will start to play more and more off-ball guard for the Spurs starting in 2026-27.
Castle is an elite slasher for a guard, thanks to his strength, power and athleticism, boasting fantastic finishing ability near the basket. The former UConn standout shot an impressive 68 percentfrom within three feet of the basket in 2026-27. From within five feet of the basket, Castle shot 62.1 percent, a higher mark than Miles Bridges (61.7 percent), Cade Cunningham (60.9 percent) and Franz Wagner (60.5 percent), showing just how effective he is at finishing near the rim.
Castle’s athleticism is particularly evident in the open court, where he can high-tail it down the floor to create easy transition opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Castle has also done well to continue improving his shooting stroke, as the 21-year-old went from shooting 28.5 percent from three as a rookie to 33.2 percent in his sophomore campaign. That number went up to 35.0 percent in the most recent playoffs, too, showing that Castle is getting more and more confident with his outside stroke, which is going to be key as he tries to reach the next tier as a player: All-Star.
He is also an effective playmaker, ranking 10th in the NBA last season in nightly assists (7.4), as well as an effective rebounder for a backcourt player. Castle was one of just eight players last season to average at least five rebounds and seven assists per contest, on a list featuring the likes of Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. He is a nasty defender too, playing with loads of toughness and lateral quickness on that end of the floor, making him a nightmare for opposing ball-handlers to face on a nightly basis.
All in all, Castle is a two-way force with a lot of upside. It’ll be interesting to see if he can reach that All-Star status in 2026-27 that many believe he can reach. We think he can do it; even in the vaunted Western Conference, he’s developing that quickly and impressively.
For the latest Stephon Castle news and rumors, click here.
5. Austin Reaves (LA Lakers)
2025-26 stats: 23.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 49.0 FG%, 36.0 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $41,240,250 (35th overall)
Lakers guard Austin Reaves is coming off the best season of his career, giving the former Oklahoma standout momentum heading into 2026-27. Something that could help Reaves’ output this upcoming season is the fact that LeBron James left this offseason to join the Sixers, meaning Reaves and Luka Doncic will be tasked with even more scoring and playmaking responsibilities.
That should suit Reaves well, as the crafty guard is so effective with the ball in his hands, both as a pull-up scorer and at drawing fouls, arguably his most impressive skill. Among players with at least 30 minutes played per game last season, Reaves ranked seventh in free-throw rate at 48.7 percent. Even more importantly, not only does Reaves get to the line often, but he is also very efficient from the stripe, hitting 86.5 percent of his free throws since getting to the NBA.
On top of his scoring, Reaves is also a solid rebounder and playmaker for his position, making him the complete package offensively and a high-level option with the ball in his hands. Although his defense leaves something to be desired, Reaves does fight on that end of the floor, so effort isn’t the issue; lack of strength and lateral quickness is.
Regardless, we could see Reaves’ numbers taking a leap in 2026-27 with the departure of James, so keep an eye on the Laker 2-guard this upcoming campaign.
For the latest Austin Reaves news and rumors, click here.
4. Amen Thompson (Houston)
2025-26 stats: 18.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.5 spg, 53.4 FG%, 21.6 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $12,258,119 (155th overall)
While his twin brother lacks as an offensive option, Amen Thompson is far more confident with the ball in his hands. A 6-foot-7 freak athlete with ridiculous burst and body control, Thompson is an elite slasher as well as an effective pull-up scorer from the midrange. He’s also a monster in transition thanks to his speed and bounce. However, his three-point stroke could continue holding him back from hitting the next level as a player until he improves upon it.
Still, Thompson is a fantastic weapon on both ends of the floor, as he’s able to run pick-and-rolls both as a ball-handler and as the screen-and-roller, producing as an effective finisher in both roles. If he were just able to shoot it from the outside, there’s little doubt he would have an All-Star appearance under his belt by now, if not an All-NBA nod; he’s that impactful everywhere else on the floor.
Thompson is also a first-rate rebounder for his position, as well as a defender, though it would be tough not to be with his absurd physical attributes. Thompson boasts a 7-foot wingspan with otherworldly lateral quickness, as well as fantastic instincts on that end of the floor.
He has one 1st Team All-Defense under his belt already and has earned Defensive Player of the Year votes twice in his career. Thompson’s 294 steals since getting to the NBA is the ninth-highest mark in the league in that time span (and just two spots behind his twin brother Ausar, who has 312 in that stretch).
We think Thompson has All-Star potential for 2026-27, but if he surprises us all and comes back launching threes at even a mediocre rate, he could be in line for even bigger accolades than that.
For the latest Austin Reaves news and rumors, click here.
3. Devin Booker (Phoenix)
2025-26 stats: 26.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.0 apg, 0.8 spg, 45.6 FG%, 33.0 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $57,078,728 (8th overall)
Phoenix star Devin Booker has quietly trudged along as one of the best scorers in the NBA of late, which almost goes unnoticed at times as the Suns haven’t boasted a contender in a few years. Still, that hasn’t stopped Booker from maintaining his status as one of the top bucket-getters in the league today.
Booker specializes in scoring off the dribble from three and the midrange, and is a high-level tough-shot-maker, a priceless skill set for elite 2-guards. Since Booker entered the NBA in 2015-16, the Kentucky Wildcat ranks fifth league-wide in total points scored, trailing only James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan and LeBron James, showing just how elite a scorer he is.
Booker is also an underrated playmaker, averaging 6.0 assists over the past eight seasons, as well as a solid rebounder, making him a bit of a do-everything 2-guard. Booker is one of just 13 players in league history to boast career averages of at least 24 points, four rebounds and five assists, and the rest of the list is either in the Hall of Fame or will be one day.
Can Booker be the best player on a championship team? It might be easy to say no now, but he did nearly accomplish just that in 2020-21 when the Suns held a 2-0 series lead over the Bucks in the Finals. The high-scoring shooting guard just needs the right roster around him, which it doesn’t look like the Suns have at the moment.
Even so, we expect another All-Star campaign out of Booker in 2026-27, one in which he could fight for All-NBA honors.
For the latest Devin Booker news and rumors, click here.
2. Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland)
2025-26 stats: 27.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 48.3 FG%, 36.4 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $50,105,628 (14th overall)
Earning All-NBA honors in three of the last four seasons (twice as a 2nd Teamer and once as a 1st Teamer), Cleveland Cavalier star Donovan Mitchell remains one of the best shooting guards in the NBA today, even if he hasn’t yet been able to lead a team to championship glory quite yet.
Despite being known as a playoff riser throughout his career, Mitchell hasn’t even gotten a team to the NBA Finals yet. And his first trip to the Conference Finals, which came just this past season, ended with a sweep at the hands of the eventual champion New York Knicks. Still, Mitchell is averaging 27.8 points per game in the playoffs for his career, the seventh-highest mark in league history, ahead of the likes of Stephen Curry (26.8) and Antetokounmpo (27.0).
The only question Mitchell has left to answer in his NBA career is whether or not he can lead a team to a championship. Early on in his time in the NBA, it appeared like that answer was eventually going to be a resounding yes, but since then, things appear murkier. Mitchell has special tough shot-making ability, fantastic bounce, long arms and a quick first step, but his lack of size and efficiency as an outside shooter have slowed him down in recent playoff runs.
Regardless, Mitchell is an All-NBA-caliber 2-guard, and we don’t expect him to drop down from that tier any time soon.
For the latest Donovan Mitchell news and rumors, click here.
1. Anthony Edwards (Minnesota)
2025-26 stats: 28.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 48.9 FG%, 39.9 3PT%
2026-27 salary: $48,924,624 (23rd overall)
How high are we on Timberwolves 2-guard Anthony Edwards?
When we did a recent exercise ranking the top players in the NBA five years from now, we had Edwards No. 2, behind only Victor Wembanyama and ahead of reigning two-time MVP winner Gilgeous-Alexander.
Edwards only recently turned 25 but has gotten better and better every single year he’s been in the Association. If Edwards had met the minimum-game threshold last season, he would have undoubtedly earned All-NBA honors, as he ranked Top 15 league-wide in BPM and VORP. He also ranked third league-wide in scoring last season while shooting a career-high 39.9 percent from three and 48.9 percent from the floor. Considering Edwards launched over eight triples nightly in 2025-26, many of the ridiculously difficult variety with a defender in his face, that’s a hugely impressive number.
What’s more, Edwards’ ability to hit absurdly hard shots from three and the midrange - using crossovers, pull-ups, step-backs, fadeaways, the works - coupled with his top-tier explosiveness as a slasher and finisher near the rim, gives him that top-option-on-a-championship-team potential, at least in our estimation, which is what teams want from their franchise player.
It’ll be interesting to see the Edwards/LaMelo Ball dynamic in full effect in 2026-27, but we think the Ball pickup should only help Edwards, as now defenses won’t be able to just focus on getting Edwards off the rock come playoff time. With another high-level guard and a great playmaker like Ball alongside him, Edwards will have the luxury of playing off of someone, picking his spots and not getting gassed having to do it all himself as far as playmaking and scoring, which could help him reach an even higher level.
The unquestioned best shooting guard in the NBA today, there was no doubt who was going to finish this section of our exercise in the No. 1 spot.
For the latest Anthony Edwards news and rumors, click here.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBA Ranking: The Top 27 shooting guards for 2026-27
