Best NBA point guards for 2025-26: Ranking all 30 starters from Luka Doncic to Stephen Curry and Jalen Brunson

Which team has the best starting point guard, and which one has the worst? The Sporting News is ranking every team's starter at each position for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Every year at Sporting News, we rank the top 30 starters at each position. And every year, point guard is the most impressive list.

Seventeen of the top 25 starters below have made at least one All-Star game. Being a lead guard requires a ton of skill, and those teams that don't have an elite one are among the worst in the league. 

Two players who will likely be in MVP contention head the top of this list. Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are consistently in the top five of that voting when healthy. The talent doesn't drop off much from there. 

Here's each team's projected starting point guard, ranked from best to worst. 

MORE: Ranking every NBA starter: 1-10 | 11-150

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NBA point guard rankings 2025-26

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

The reigning regular season and Finals MVP deserves to hold the No. 1 spot on this list. Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant last season, winning the scoring title by averaging 32.7 points per game. Nobody has figured out a way to stop his slithery drives to the rim. He's also a good defensive player who was a part of the Thunder's suffocating No. 1 defense, making him the rare two-way superstar. 

2. Luka Doncic, Lakers

Doncic is coming off an injury-plagued year where he had to adjust on the fly to a mid-season trade to the Lakers, ending his five-year First Team All-NBA streak. He should start a new one this season. 

Doncic is still only 26 years old. He is impossible to guard. He will tear defenses apart one-on-one, and he can make every pass in the book when double-teams come. He also has better personnel to fit him this year, getting a roll partner in DeAndre Ayton that should feast off his lobs.

He's motivated to show the Mavericks that they made a mistake, and this may be the best version of him that we've seen. 

3. Stephen Curry, Warriors

Curry is still performing at an elite level at age 37, making Second Team All-NBA last season after averaging 24.5 points and 6.0 assists per game. He was still the most dangerous shooter in the league, leading all players in 3-pointers per game and draining 40 percent of his looks. 

That should continue again this year. Curry has more help in Jimmy Butler to lessen the load on him, and he will probably see a slight reduction in minutes. That duo was terrific together.

With the Warriors star having an easier job, he should maintain his production and continue to be the engine for Golden State's offense. 

4. Jalen Brunson, Knicks

Brunson will be in a different role this season with coach Tom Thibodeau out and Mike Brown in. He may not be quite as ball-dominant as in the past. 

It's hard to fault Thibodeau too much for using him in that role given how excellent he was in it. He was one of the most clutch players in the league last season, pulling out game-winning shots whenever the Knicks needed one. His scoring bag at just 6-2 was the reason why the Knicks made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. 

Brunson isn't a great defender due to that size, but he competes and is tough. He will sacrifice his body and draw a ton of charges. Combined with his passing ability and scoring, that makes him one of the best players in the league. 

5. Cade Cunningham, Pistons

Cunningham took a major leap last year, making his first All-Star game, getting Third Team All-NBA honors, and finishing third in Most Improved Player voting. Those honors were well-deserved. He's proven that he can score against all types of defenses, averaging 26.1 points per game last season.

He's also tall enough at 6-6 to guard well and make all of the passes, averaging 9.1 assists per game. His size, instincts, and skill make him one of the best point guards in the league. 

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6. Devin Booker, Suns

Booker wasn't an All-Star last season, but he's still one of the best shot creators in the league. He averaged 25.6 points for a disappointing Suns team last year. He's a terrific three-level scorer that can burn teams in a number of ways, whether it's using his silky-smooth jumper or putting his head down and getting to the rim. 

The plan is for Booker to start at point guard this season, giving him more opportunities to expand upon his already-solid playmaking. He averaged a career-high 7.1 assists per game last year. 

7. Tyrese Maxey, Sixers

Maxey is one of the fastest guards in the league and a great scorer, averaging 26.3 points per game last season. He's a good fit for a high-level team, able to take over an offense for chunks of time as he did with Joel Embiid missing much of last year. He's also terrific in a more complementary off-ball role, thanks to his strong shooting and playmaking. He's one of the best second bananas in the league. 

8. Trae Young, Hawks

Young's long-distance shooting was uncharacteristically off last season. He was still able to make a huge impact with his 11.6 assists per game. He's one of the best lob throwers in the league, which he pairs with a deceptive floater.

9. De'Aaron Fox, Spurs

Fox needs the ball more in his hands in order to be effective, which critics say caps the ceiling of his teams. But he's a very good scorer and playmaker in that role, averaging 23.5 points and 6.3 assists last season between the Kings and Spurs. His shaky 3-pointer and lack of size are his main weaknesses. He still finds ways to contribute defensively, racking up a ton of steals every year. 

10. James Harden, Clippers

Harden doesn't have nearly the same burst as he did in his MVP days. He's declining as a finisher at the rim and his shooting percentages have dipped across the board. He's still a good volume scoring option though, averaging 22.8 points per game last season for the Clippers and making his 11th All-Star game. 

Harden is still an effective engine for an offense because along with being able to create a decent shot at any time, he's one of the best passers in the game. He finished third in the league in total assists last season, and his pick-and-roll combination with Ivica Zubac has become lethal. 

MORE: Ranking the 15 best games on the 2025-26 NBA schedule

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11. Ja Morant, Grizzlies

12. Darius Garland, Cavs

13. LaMelo Ball, Hornets

14. Jamal Murray, Nuggets

15. Derrick White, Celtics

• Morant's effectiveness comes and goes based on his injury status. He hasn't been able to stay on the floor much due in part to the nature of his high-flying game. When he is healthy, he has shown that he can be a top 10 player in the league. Nobody can get to the rim with the spectacular speed and leaping ability that he has, and his acrobatic contortions on his layups are the stuff of highlight films.
• Garland had his playoff struggles last season while trying to play injured. Don't let that take away from a regular season where he was the team's best passer, scored 20.6 points per game, and hit 40.1 percent of his 3's.
• Ball is a fan favorite because of the fearlessness and creativity he plays with. He will launch up crazy 3's and make them while throwing passes from all angles. His defensive intensity needs to improve to move up this list. 
• Murray might be the best player to never have made an All-Star game. Denver's secondary star has great chemistry with Nikola Jokic and can take over as a scorer when teams load up on the Joker. 
• White has long been one of the premier glue guys in the league. He's a good 3-point shooter, an All-Defensive talent, and makes the right passes. He will have to scale up his role on a pared-down Celtics team this season. 

16. Tyler Herro, Heat

17. Jrue Holiday, Blazers

18. Jalen Suggs, Magic

19. Josh Giddey, Bulls

20. Andrew Nembhard, Pacers

• Herro took over as the man in Miami last season, making his first All-Star game. He's gotten better as a passer and is a deadly shooter. But the playoffs exposed his defensive limitations, where he was attacked relentlessly. 
• Holiday has begun declining on the offensive end, struggling with his shot creation and 3-point shooting last year. He's still one of the best defenders at his position and capable of playing in multiple different types of schemes with his strength and high feel. 
• Suggs is one of the most disruptive guard defenders in the league. He's been an up-and-down shooter throughout his career, which has limited his effectiveness.
• Giddey can fill up the stat sheet in every category. He's got great court vision, particularly in transition, and he's improved as a shooter and foul drawer. He does have defensive limitations and needs to up his 3-point volume. 
• Nembhard will step in for the injured Tyrese Haliburton, and he's a more than capable replacement. He showed in the team's Finals run that he's a big time shot-maker and a pest defensively. 

21. Jordan Poole, Pelicans

22. Immanuel Quickley, Raptors

23. Mike Conley, Timberwolves

24. D'Angelo Russell, Mavericks

25. Malik Monk, Kings

• Poole had a nice recovery last season, looking more like the key role player that he was for the Warriors during their championship run. He will still make the occasional bone-headed play, but he's a great scorer. 
• Quickley hasn't been able to stay healthy over the previous few seasons. He's a good pull-up shooter and decision-maker with great help instincts, but not much of an advantage creator and struggles to guard on the ball. 
• Conley will be playing in his age 38 season. His days as a starter are numbered. He can still make the right decisions, hit open 3's at a high level, and be in the right spot defensively. 
• Russell is a great shooter who couldn't stick with the Lakers due to mistake-prone play and a poor defensive motor. He's a good stopgap option for the Mavericks as Kyrie Irving rehabilitates from his torn ACL. 
• Monk is a microwave scorer who is capable of going off for big numbers. He has also improved as a passer, averaging a career-high 5.6 assists per game last season. 

26. Reed Sheppard, Rockets

27. Kevin Porter Jr. Bucks

28. Bub Carrington, Wizards

29. Isaiah Collier, Jazz

30. Egor Demin, Nets

• Sheppard is a talented shooter and college steals magnet who didn't get much of an opportunity as a rookie last season. Fred VanVleet's ACL injury will thrust him into a bigger role. 
• Porter found a home late in the season with the Bucks, providing some necessary scoring. He's had attitude issues in various places and can make head-scratching plays, but the Bucks don't have much guard depth and he should be the de-facto starter. 
• Carrington was one of the pleasant surprises of last season, getting Second Team All-Rookie honors. He's a good passer with great size and a nice midrange shot, but needs to improve his finishing at the rim and 3-point shooting.
• Collier showed some things towards the end of the season, making good passes and getting to the rim. His shooting needs to improve — he hit just 24.9 percent of his 3's last year. 
• Demin is the lone rookie on this list. The No. 8 overall pick has great court vision. There are questions about his ability to create separation and his shooting stroke after he hit only 27.3 percent as a freshman at BYU.