Best NBA shooting guards for 2024-25: Ranking all 30 starters from Anthony Edwards to Donovan Mitchell and Derrick White

Which team has the best shooting guard and which has the worst? The Sporting News ranks each team’s starters at each position for the 2024-25 NBA season.

When you look at the best shooting guards in the league, one thing you can learn is that the NBA is increasingly turning its best players into point guards so they can have the ball in their hands more often.

Most All-Star guards fall into this category, even if they tend to be point players. There are still plenty of talented shooting guards in the league, but All-NBA caliber players are quickly falling behind the top names on this list.

Here are all 30 projected starters at shooting guard for the 2024-25 season, ranked 1-30.

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NBA Shooting Guard Rankings 2024-25

1. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

Edwards’ time is now. He was one of the best players for Team USA in the Olympics and is coming off a season in which he led the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals as a scoring offense. His 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game earned him seventh place in MVP voting and Second Team All-NBA honors.

Edwards is unstoppable when he gets to the rim and he is a great shooter from all areas. He is an improved one-on-one defender who can block the ball at the end of a game. The only area he needs to improve is as a passer on double teams, which he will see more of this year.

MORE: A new look at Anthony Edwards’ path to becoming No. 1 in 2020

2. Devin Booker, Suns

Booker earned Third Team All-NBA honors while averaging 27.1 points, 6.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Suns. He is an electric scorer who is dangerous from anywhere on the pitch, and he has strengthened his defense in recent years.

3. Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

Mitchell made his fifth straight All-Star Game last season, averaging 26.6 points and 6.1 assists per game. He took on more duties as a primary ballplayer for Cleveland and made strides as a passer to go along with his electrifying scoring ability. And he was criticized for his defense for a long time, but he has gotten much better on that field.

4. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks

Irving reminded everyone what he is capable of when healthy in 2023-24 and helped lead Dallas to the Finals as one of the league’s best No. 2 options.

Irving still has one of the best handles in the game and his athleticism hasn’t diminished too much. His six dunks last year were the most of his career. He averaged 25.6 points per game on an incredible 41.1 percent shooting rate from three games alongside Luka Doncic.

5. Derrick White, Celtics

The all-round guard ultimately failed at his first All-Star success, but won a championship and made it to the All-Defensive for the second time in a row.

White is the best shot-blocking guard in the league and great one-on-one against other guards. He has developed into a highly reliable 3-point shooter, knocking down 39.6 percent of his attempts last season. He was Boston’s best passer, averaging 5.2 assists per game.

6. Khris Middleton, Bucks

Middleton has been hampered by injuries since he was last named to the All-Star team in 2022. He was on a minutes restriction for most of last season and only appeared in 55 games.

Middleton was still Milwaukee’s third best player when he took action on the court, averaging 15.1 points per game. That number rose to 24.7 points per game in the playoffs when he needed to score more points. He’s no longer a positive defender, but can still score with the best when he’s near 100 percent.

7. Mikal Bridges, Knicks

Bridges is still a few years away from finishing second in the Defensive Player of the Year vote. He hasn’t been nearly the same defender since, but he’s still a real asset on this field. He’s a good 3-point shooter who should be more efficient as the third player on the Knicks than as the No. 1 player on the Nets.

8. Alex Caruso, Thunder

Caruso is an insane defender who cannot be shielded and loses the ball tremendously. There may not be a better one-on-one defender in the league. Due to his toughness, he is also able to defend his position.

Caruso is an improved scorer, hitting 40.8 percent of his three-pointers for the Bulls last season, but he’s still a little too reserved as a shooter.

9. Coby White, Bulls

White is coming off a breakthrough season in which he finished second in Most Improved Player voting. He averaged a career-high 19.1 points and 5.1 assists per game, taking on more ball-handling duties for the Bulls and improving dramatically as a pick-and-roll guard.

White is a very shifty shooter who always seems to end up around 37 percent at the end of the year. He tries hard on defense, but his small stature makes him a target on that end of the field.

10. Austin Reaves, Lakers

After a slow start to last season in which he was left out of the starting lineup, Reaves bounced back well and reminded everyone why the Lakers valued him so highly.

Reaves finished the year averaging 15.9 points per game and shooting 36.7 percent from 3. He’s good at drawing fouls and isn’t afraid of big moments. He’s a better defender than he gets credit for.

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11. Marcus Smart, Grizzlies

12. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Magic

13. CJ McCollum, Pelicans

14. Tyler Herro, Heat

15. Brandon Miller, Hornets

• Smart is coming off a disastrous year in which he only played 20 games due to injury. The former Defensive Player of the Year is still capable of defending at a high level and providing plenty of energy with smart, rushing plays.
• Caldwell-Pope changed the scene this year. It will be interesting to see if his performance level keeps him away from Nikola Jokic. The defense will always be there, but KCP could see a decline from the 41.5 percent from 3 he shot during his time with Denver.
• McCollum is still a good scorer. Last season, he averaged 20.0 points per game and hit 42.9 percent of his three-pointers. But his size prevents him from defending at a high level, and he could be pushed out of New Orleans’ starting lineup.
• Herro has had injury problems recently. In the last three years he’s been available, he’s scored 20 points per game, shot 3s at a rapid pace and put pressure on defenses. The next step for him will be to handle ball pressure and double teams more effectively.
• Miller showed the traits of his idol Paul George in his rookie year, where he defended well, hit 37.3 percent of his 3s and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He’s a good winger with size who will compete for an All-Star spot in a few years.

​16. Anfernee Simons, Blazer

17. Jalen Green, Rockets

18. Andrew Nembhard, Pacers

19. Brandin Podziemski, Warrior

20. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hawks

• Last year was supposed to be a big year for Simons following the departure of Damian Lillard, but he only played 46 games due to injuries. He has good box score numbers, averaging 22.6 points and 5.5 assists per game. He’s also a great 3-point shooter, but given his mediocre shot selection and poor defense, there are some questions about his overall impact.
• Green had a season of ups and downs, but he started to take off late. He averaged 27.7 points per game in March, showing how powerful a scorer he can be when he doesn’t take bad shots.
• Nembhard had great playoffs for the Pacers, hitting big shots and playing smart defense for them. He is a strong player who is not the most aggressive scorer but knows how to pick his spots.

21. Devin Vassell, Spurs

22. Terance Mann, Clippers

23. Kevin Huerter, Kings

24. Kelly Oubre, 76ers

25. Collin Sexton, jazz

• Vassell had a good year, turning things around towards the end of the season and acting as Spurs’ number 2 behind Victor Wembanyama. He averaged a solid 19.5 points per game and has started to use his upside to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor.
• With the departure of Russell Westbrook, Mann will have a greater chance to show what he can do. He is a good defender and a smart offensive player.
• Huerter had a poor shooting year, hitting just 36.1 percent of his three-pointers last season for the Kings. If he can get back to the 40 percent he hit two seasons ago, he will be a much more valuable player.
• Oubre was a surprise starter for the Sixers, thriving in that role and earning a larger contract with the team. He brings size to the wing and can create a decent offense for himself.
• Sexton quietly had a great second half of the 2023-24 season for the Jazz, firing lights from all over the floor. He’s still not a great defender, but he has improved as a passer, averaging an efficient 18.7 points per game for the Jazz.

26. Cam Thomas, Nets

27. Jaden Ivey, Pistons

28. Christian Braun, Nuggets

29. Jordan Poole, Wizard

30. Gradey Dick, Raptors

• Thomas is an electric scorer who doesn’t do much else. Last year he averaged 22.5 points per game. That number will likely increase on a bad Nets team where he will have plenty of shooting opportunities.
• Ivey should get a much bigger window of opportunity with Monty Williams leaving and JB Bickerstaff coming in as the new coach. Ivey had a poor sophomore season in which most of his stats plummeted. Inefficient scoring and poor defense are concerns, but he has plus points in terms of athleticism and shooting prowess.
• Braun has big shoes to fill with the departure of KCP. He is a high-energy player who plays hard on defense and can hit open 3s with good pace.
• Poole is a very good scorer, but poor decision-making and terrible defense have limited his effectiveness since leaving Golden State.
• Dick had a terrible start to the season, but rebounded after the Raptors dropped out of the playoff hunt. His primary job is hitting threes, and he was shooting 37.1 percent of them after the All-Star break.