With the 2024 NBA offseason winding down, several point guards remain unsigned. As in every free agency cycle, many of these players are likely to remain available. There’s fresh blood in the league after all.
Still, there are a few veteran point guards that teams should consider signing ahead of training camp.
Best Point Guards Remaining In Free Agency
Markelle Fultz
One day, it’ll be time to fully examine Markelle Fultz’s career arc.
The No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fultz was expected to be one of the league’s next great point guards. An explosive lead playmaker at 6-foot-4, the Maryland native averaged 23.9 points, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per done as a one-and-done prospect. Despite concerns about his shooting form, his outside jumper wasn’t a weakness either. Fultz shot 41.3 percent from 3 at Washington on 5.0 attempts per game.
It was all downhill from there. After drafting Fultz, the Philadelphia 76ers’ shot doctors offered him the wrong remedy. Instead of correcting his shooting mechanics, they created problems that hadn’t existed up to that point. Not only is Fultz a career 27.4 percent shooter, he’s only played in 234 games as a seven-year veteran.
Still, Fultz is a two-way playmaker who excels at initiating offenses and creating defensive events. Because of his injury history and limited scoring impact, he’s only a depth option. Nonetheless, he’s particularly useful if placed around high-level scorers. The 26-year-old averaged 11.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with the Orlando Magic.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Dennis Smith Jr. was also projected to be a high impact player coming out of college. A one-and-done prospect out of NC State, Smith averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game with the Wolfpack. Drafted ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks, Smith started every game as a rookie. Coming in fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, the North Carolina native’s career was off to a hot start.
As it often happens, a change of scenery knocked him off track. The Mavs traded Smith in a trade package for Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., sensing the opportunity to accelerate the timeline of their Luka Doncic-led rebuild. While this worked out for Dallas, Smith was sent to a team with a logjam at point guard. These events and an elbow injury suffered in 2021-22 led to muted performances.
However, Smith bounced back in a minor way the past two seasons. Playing over 50 games in both seasons, he averaged 10.7 points, 6.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game as a starter in 2022-23. Because of his limitations as a 3-point threat, he’s not a fit for every team. That being said, at 26, he’s young enough to join a rebuilding team like the Toronto Raptors.
Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas’s days as the King of the Fourth may be over, but he still belongs on an NBA court.
Thomas is too good for G League. He’s too proud to go overseas. He’s beloved by his peers and fans. Perhaps most importantly, his greatest weakness was never a strength of his. So, it seems disingenuous to suggest that concerns about his defense are the primary reason he remains unsigned. Especially in an era in which point guards are rarely threats at the point of attack.
A talented scorer and experienced playmaker, Thomas’s most consistent impact would come from beyond the line. Whether a situational or role player, his confidence will be key as well. Like former sharpshooter Jason Terry, he likely could be counted on in big moments.
Frankly, unless Thomas has absurd contract demands, he should get snatched up by a veteran team. The Los Angeles Lakers are one potential destination.
