10 Best NBA Point Guards Drafted In The Last 10 Years

One of the more exciting trends in the NBA over the last decade has been the increasingly impressive point guard play. At the point guard position since 2014, NBA teams have done a tremendous job of setting their franchises up for future success with the selection of some of the NBA’s top talent as the point guard position.

NBA stars such as Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have all emerged as the point guards of the future in the NBA. Second-tier point guards such as Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton have also emerged as All-Star and All-NBA level talent as well. It’s time to see what 10 point guards drafted in the last 10 seasons have had the best careers so far and can maximize their team’s success heading into the future.

1. Luka Doncic

No point guard in the NBA draft in the last 10 years has been as impressive or dominant as Luka Doncic. Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks third overall in 2018 but immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young, Doncic has been one of the brightest young stars in the NBA over the last five seasons.

Since 2018, Luka has earned five All-Star selections and four All-NBA Team selections while averaging 28.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. Doncic has led the Mavericks as far as the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and already owns a host of Dallas Mavericks franchise records including triple-doubles and already ranks third in three-point field goals made with 1,069.

Doncic should be well on his way to his first MVP and first NBA title by now but things have taken time to develop in Dallas. With Doncic leading the way, the Mavericks are always a part of the contention conversation.

2. Trae Young

Sitting well behind Doncic in second place is none other than the player the Hawks traded him for, Trae Young. In five-plus seasons with the Hawks, Young has already earned two All-Stars selections and an All-NBA Team selection in 2022. Through 394 career games, Young is averaging 25.6 points and 9.5 assists per game for his career.

Young has no assists or scoring titles to his name but he has made NBA history in his short time in the league so far. In 2022, he led the NBA in both total points with 2,155 and total assists with 303. He repeated the lead in total assists in 2022-23 with 300 assists again and has recorded an NBA-best 175 total assists so far in 2023-24.

Young is the clear second-best point guard drafted since 2014 at this point but the players right behind him are catching up rapidly.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The one player who has made the biggest assault on second place on this list is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. After being taken 11th overall by the Hornets in the 2018 NBA Draft, Gilgeous-Alexander would be dealt to the Clippers before being traded for Paul George in 2019.

Since arriving in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander has skyrocketed himself to superstar status, averaging 25.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game since 2020. Gilgeous-Alexander has been named an All-Star twice including as a starter in 2024 and averaged over 30.0 points per game, and been named to the All-NBA First Team in the last years while averaging 31.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.

This has all led to the Thunder building and developing through the NBA Draft and building a team that sits at 32-15 in 2023-24 and has the second-best record in the Western Conference. Building around their superstar in Oklahoma City has paid off in a big way.

4. Ja Morant

Had it not been for the unfortunate circumstances of the last two years, Ja Morant would find himself much higher on this list. Ever since being taken second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, Morant has been one of the most jaw-dropping athletes in the NBA. After capturing the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019, Morant has been able to lead the Grizzlies to some of their best seasons in franchise history.

From 2021 through 2023, Morant began his superstar trajectory, earning the 2022 Most Improved Player award, two All-Star selections, and an All-NBA Team selection in 2022 as well. Things began to unravel for Morant during the 2022-23 campaign when different off-court incidents began to pop up. Morant was soon suspended by the team in 2023 and again by the NBA for 25 games to begin the 2023-24 season.

After returning for nine games, averaging 25.1 points and 8.1 assists per game on 47.1% shooting, Morant suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that derailed his shot at redemption this season. Morant’s trouble off the court and unfortunate injuries drop his ranking just a bit.

5. De’Aaron Fox

In 2017, the Sacramento Kings made De’Aaron Fox their fifth overall selection in the NBA Draft. Since that time, Fox has taken the reins of the franchise, ushering in a new and more successful era than in recent memory. Since making his NBA debut in 2017-18, Fox has averaged 20.8 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game but has emerged as one of the elite point guards in the game over the last few seasons.

Since 2021, Fox has averaged 25.0 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. In 2022-23, he earned his first All-Star selection, and his first All-NBA Team selection was named Clutch Player of the Year and led the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 17 years.

Through 39 games in 2023-24, Fox is averaging a career-high 27.5 points per game as the Kings have accumulated a 27-18 record and rank fifth in the Western Conference.

6. Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese Haliburton was drafted 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2020 set to share the backcourt with star point guard De’Aaron Fox. After one and a half seasons, Haliburton was shockingly traded to the Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, a deal that has benefitted both teams tremendously.

Since arriving in Indiana in 2021-22, Haliburton has hit a different gear. He is averaging 20.8 points, 20.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 49/40/86 shooting splits. After earning his first All-Star selection in 2022-23, Haliburton was named an All-Star starter in 2023-24 averaging a career-high 23.4 points and an NBA-leading 12.6 assists per game.

If Haliburton continues on this trajectory, he should have zero issues moving into the top five or even the top three point guards on this list.

7. Jamal Murray

Of the 10 point guards who make up this list, none have a better comeback story than Jamal Murray. After becoming the Denver Nuggets’ seventh overall pick in 2016, he earned the starting point guard job in 2018. From then through the 2020 playoffs, Murray emerged as a point guard Denver could rely on to take them to the next level as a contender next to their franchise cornerstone Nikola Jokic.

Unfortunately, Murray would suffer a setback in 2020-21, tearing his ACL and missing the entire 2021-22 season. Murray would return in 2022-23 with a vengeance, averaging 20.0 points and 6.2 assists per game in the regular season. In the NBA Playoffs, Murray would erupt for 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game on 47.3% shooting to help the Nuggets capture their first NBA championship in franchise history.

8. Jalen Brunson

If there is any point guard who has completely defied the odds and become a star in the NBA despite being doubted at every turn, it is Jalen Brunson. As the 33rd overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson fought for a solid spot in the Mavericks rotation.

In 2021-22, he began to make his mark, averaging over 16.0 points per game and leading Dallas to massive wins in Luka Doncic’s absence. He averaged 21.6 points per game on 46.6% shooting in the 2022 playoffs as he headed into free agency for the first time in his career. Brunson chose to sign with the New York Knicks and has emerged as one of the Eastern Conference’s top point guards since 2022-23.

With the Knicks over the last two seasons, Brunson has averaged 25.0 points and 6.3 assists per game on 48.6% shooting from the floor. He is headed for his first All-Star selection in 2023-24 after leading the Knicks to a 30-17 record through 47 games this season.

9. LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball is yet another player on this list who could be ranked much higher had it not been for injuries limiting him for the last three seasons. Ball was the third overall pick of the Hornets in the 2020 NBA Draft and went on to win the 2021 Rookie of the Year award averaging 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

In his second season in 2022, LaMelo would become an NBA All-Star averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Since that time, injuries have limited him to just 58 games played from the start of the 2022-23 season through today. While the talent is there, Ball’s injuries and failure to lead the Hornets to a playoff berth in four years weigh heavy on his ranking here today.

10. Tyrese Maxey

Over the last three seasons, Tyrese Maxey has done enough to make his way onto this list as the 10-best point guard drafted in the last 10 seasons. Since being taken 21st overall by the 76ers in the 2020 NBA draft, Maxey has averaged 17.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 0.7 steals per game.

In reality, it has been the last two seasons that have propelled him to these heights. In 2022-23, Maxey had a career season for the 76ers, averaging 20.3 points per game on 48/43/84 shooting splits, helping the 76ers win 54 games and gain the third seed in the East. So far in 2023-24, Maxey has reached an entirely different level, looking to become an ALl-Star for the first time as well as leading the race for the Most Improved Player award.

Through 42 games in 2023-24, Maxey has made the transition away from James Harden an easy one, averaging a career-high 25.7 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 44.8% shooting. Maxey’s All-Star level play has led the 76ers to a 29-16 record and third place in the East. 

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