Austin Reaves’ player option looms as the Lakers shape their next backcourt plan, while a loaded 2026 draft pushes several teams toward the open market. From Bruce Brown and Luke Kennard to C.J. McCollum and Ayo Dosunmu, here are the 10 best shooting-guard fre
Austin Reaves is approaching free agency with a player option in his pocket. and for the Los Angeles Lakers that decision isn’t just about one contract. It’s about who becomes Luka Dončić’s running mate as the team’s touch distribution changes—especially with the reality that LeBron James and Reaves can’t both be the central offensive focus.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points per game this past season. and the prediction here is blunt: if the Lakers are choosing between LeBron James and Reaves as Dončić’s co-star. the younger option makes more sense. The storyline is built around one question—how much Reaves can scale his scoring if he doesn’t have to share touches with a ball-dominant superstar—because the free-agency market for shooting guards is set up to be a lifeline for teams that don’t land a star on draft night.
The 2026 NBA Draft is being called one of the best draft classes in recent memory, and the top 10 is especially stacked with guard talent. Still, not every team will walk away from draft day with a star guard, so several organizations may have to pivot to the open market to fill out their backcourt.
That’s where the other names in this list come in. Bruce Brown is predicted to return to the Denver Nuggets. He was a key player when Denver won the championship in 2023. returned for this past season. and while “the same magic wasn’t quite there. ” the premise is that Brown loves playing for the Nuggets. With the expectation that he could be willing to play for less. he’s viewed as a potential answer for Denver if they can’t afford to lose depth.
Luke Kennard is projected for the Dallas Mavericks. He’s described as one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters. having led the league in 3-point percentage three times—including hitting 47.8% of his long balls this past season. The Lakers are flagged for having many impending free agents, which could limit their ability to retain Kennard. Dallas. meanwhile. is said to have been in the bottom five in both 3-point makes and percentage last year. and the idea is that a sharpshooter would fit around Cooper Flagg. helping the Rookie of the Year.
Quentin Grimes is also part of this market picture. even though his entry appears without a dedicated placeholder in the source text. He’s described as someone who can scale up or down depending on what teams need. The key datapoint: he averaged 21.9 points per game over his first 28 games with the Philadelphia 76ers. after spending much of his career as a 3-and-D role player. That combination—creation ability plus versatility—makes him a target for free agency. with the prediction placing him with the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland is portrayed as needing more shooting and wing defense, while still offering an opportunity for a decent usage rate.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is predicted to land with the Toronto Raptors. Like Bruce Brown, he played last season on the veteran’s minimum for the Nuggets. After a season in which he nearly won the Sixth Man of the Year award. the logic in the prediction is that he’s unlikely to sign another cheap deal—meaning Denver could be outpriced. His scoring “spark plug” role is framed as a fit for a Raptors team that ranked seventh-to-last in bench scoring.
C.J. McCollum is projected to stay in Atlanta with the Hawks. with an important contractual detail included: he agreed to a one-year. $21 million extension with the Hawks. The story reminds readers that when McCollum became the centerpiece of the Trae Young trade. many felt Atlanta got the worse end. But McCollum is still presented as one of the NBA’s best combo guards. capable of scoring both from the mid-range and beyond the arc. The prediction leans on fit. saying the Hawks wanted him back for how well he fits. including as an offensive backcourt pairing with Dyson Daniels and alongside expert defensive capabilities.
The Los Angeles Clippers are next in line through Bennedict Mathurin, who is predicted to land with them. The text ties his destination to the Ivica Zubac trade. stating that Mathurin was added there and that the Clippers won’t want to lose him for nothing—even after ending up with the Indiana Pacers’ first-round pick this year. Mathurin is described as a great scorer. with the expectation that his best long-term role is as an energizer off the bench.
Zach LaVine’s future is framed differently, because the story lists him with a player option. He’s predicted to be with the Sacramento Kings. LaVine is described as a multi-time All-Star with elite 3-point shooting and one of the league’s most explosive athletes. But the prediction also stresses the other side: he has been overpaid in recent years and hasn’t delivered much winning throughout his career. The numbers given are specific—he’s set to make nearly $50 million next season if he picks up his option. Even so. the Kings are described as potentially rebuilding. and the prediction adds a key twist: picking up the option doesn’t mean Sacramento won’t trade him at some point.
Ayo Dosunmu is predicted for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker last offseason, and then replaced him via a trade-deadline acquisition of Dosunmu. The text makes it clear this isn’t meant to be a short-term stop: the team can’t afford to let Dosunmu turn into a mere rental. Dosunmu is presented as guard depth. with his offensive production in the playoffs singled out as a major factor in upsetting the Nuggets despite Minnesota being depleted by injuries. His 3-point form is also part of the case—he was red hot from 3-point land last season.
Norman Powell is predicted to return to the Miami Heat. The storyline here is that Powell earned an Eastern Conference All-Star selection just in time for the open market. His career year is tied to back-to-back seasons surpassing the 20-point-per-game threshold. The prediction leans on fit: Powell is described as hardworking and always improving. matching what’s said to be Heat culture.
Taken together, the predictions keep returning to one central pressure point: for teams facing a draft that’s heavy on guard talent, the open market becomes the backup plan—and for the Lakers, that plan may depend on how Reaves’ touches look next to Luka Dončić.
At the top of the list. the forecast is still Reaves staying in Los Angeles—because this isn’t just about money or roster depth. It’s about whether the Lakers decide to double down on the younger scoring partner while Dončić remains the engine. and whether Reaves can turn his 23.3 points per game into something even bigger if he’s not squeezed behind James’ ball dominance.
NBA free agency Austin Reaves Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic shooting guards Bruce Brown Luke Kennard Dallas Mavericks C.J. McCollum Atlanta Hawks Ayo Dosunmu Minnesota Timberwolves Zach LaVine Sacramento Kings Tim Hardaway Jr. Toronto Raptors