While we wait for the resumption of this season, it’s never too early to look ahead. The free agency market this summer is thin, but there’s value to be had across the board.
Let’s take a look at the top five unrestricted free agent point guards in 2020 free agency.
1. Fred VanVleet
The Raptors guard has emerged as a legitimate starting point guard this season. He hit the scene initially during last season’s championship run, but this year he has proven he can be a focal point of a winning team.
He has averaged 17.6 points per game this season with 6.6 assists, while helping the Raptors to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. At 26 years old, VanVleet offers upside to go with what teams know they are going to get from him.
In a thin market, he is hands down the top unrestricted free agent, and an easy choice among point guards.
2. Goran Dragic
Dragic will be entering his 12th season next year at 34 years old. He’s been effective as a secondary play-maker the past few seasons in Miami, and he’ll continue to be one with his next team.
Dragic is a willing distributor, but also a smooth scorer. He can get his own shot with the ball in his hands, as well as spot up playing off-ball. His defense leaves much to be desired, but that’s part of the reason he’s best suited for a sixth-man role.
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1194451189267611648
Expect contenders, as well as young teams seeking veteran leadership, to show interest in Dragic this off-season.
3. D.J. Augustin
Augustin has spent the past four seasons with the Orlando Magic, as both a fill-in starter and veteran back-up. He’s a small guard, listed at 5’11”. That doesn’t prevent him from being a capable offensive player, though, and when he gets hot he can be a difference maker.
A career 37.9% three-point shooter, Augustin is a proven threat from deep. He mixes that with tight handles that allow him to break a defense down and create for either himself or his open teammates. In a Magic offense that’s provided few threats over the past few seasons, Augustin was a big part in getting the team through tough offensive stretches.
Like Dragic, expect contending teams to show an interest in Augustin. At the right price, he is a great player to lead a second unit on a team with winning aspirations.
4. Jeff Teague
Teague was traded mid-season from Minnesota to Atlanta, splitting his time between two disappointing teams. He’s been inconsistent with his shooting, but he makes up for that in other areas of his game.
He’s a solid defender, and can play stretches of menacing defense on opposing point guards. Teague is also creative with the ball in his hands, and is an above average distributor, especially compared to backup point guards around the league. His shaky shooting leads him to pass up good opportunities on a fairly regular basis, but if you can afford that, he can be an impact role player.
Jeff Teague has underrated bounce 😴 pic.twitter.com/RXRbFS32fZ
— SLAM Rewind (@SLAMRewind) August 16, 2019
His Atlanta days are far behind him, but he maintains the high IQ, find the open man style of play that made him an All-Star with the Hawks.
5. Reggie Jackson
Rounding out the list, we have current Clipper Reggie Jackson. Jackson was bought out and wound up signing with L.A. during the season. On multiple occasions, he proved to be just what the Clippers hoped – a combo guard who can take the pressure off their stars for stretches of game time.
He never lived up to the hype he had when he was traded to the Pistons, but he certainly showed the kind of scorer he is. Given the risk involved, he wasn’t able to rank higher than 5th on this list. That being said, he has the upside to come in as the number two ranked player on this list, if everything goes perfectly.
Jackson is the best guy here after VanVleet as a pure scorer. Any team looking for a scoring punch off the bench should show interest in the veteran guard.
