2025 NBA Draft: Best guards in the class, ft. Dylan Harper and Kasparas Jakucionis

We're continuing our position ranking series for the 2025 NBA Draft by discussing the class’s guards. As a reminder, these position groups correspond with our Mock Draft Simulator. The guard group might be the strongest of any position group in the class, with four of my top 10 prospects appearing on the list.

Some of the league’s best players and primary initiators, notably Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fit in this category, not because of his inability to run and offense but because of the versatility his size provides. Devin Booker and Tyler Herro are All-Star examples of this kind of player, thriving as on and off-ball players. Role-player guards exist in all shapes and sizes, from shooting specialists like Malik Beasley to defensive stalwarts like Alex Caruso.

The “guard” group differs from the “point” group, which we covered in the previous iteration of this series. We’re organizing prospects based on their projected role/archetype at the NBA level, not necessarily their current position. Guards, as compared to points, are more suited for a combo/off-ball role and/or have the size to defend bigger players and lower on the court.

1. Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Dylan Harper makes a strong case to top the point list, but he finds himself here atop the group of guards. Harper’s inclusion as a guard stems somewhat from his limitations but mostly from the versatility his size and off-ball skill provide. Harper plays point guard for Rutgers, harboring a 28.8% usage rate and a near-even assist-to-usage rate.

The bar for superstar lead guards in the NBA is incredibly high. Harper’s ability to incessantly pressure the basket and score at the rim will be critical for this projection, but his good, not elite, passing and off-dribble shooting must achieve high-end outcomes. Harper’s position as a guard says more about his ability to scale down when needed, which should help him thrive on elite teams.

Harper’s feel for cutting and spacing exceeds most teenage primary initiator prospects. That feel combined with his size, allowing him to defend bigger players, will allow Harper to slot in seamlessly next to smaller guard-sized initiators, something most of our point prospects can’t do.

It’s entirely possible Dylan Harper will develop into an NBA-caliber primary initiator, living at the basket and capitalizing on that paint pressure with enough passing and shooting. Regardless of his ultimate ceiling, though, Harper will fit next to other elite talents and maximize great teams, providing him with a high floor.

2. Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

Jakucionis, like Harper, inarguably functions as a point guard at the college level. He’s one of the country’s premier pick-and-roll maestros, spending 40% of his possessions scoring out of ball screens. He’s an incredible passer with laser vision, manipulation and creativity to find teammates in all areas of the court.

But like Harper, to an even more extreme extent, Jakucionis’s limitations might suit him better for a part-time initiator role at the NBA level. His handle needs plenty of work, as Jakucionis lacks the control and strength to drive in traffic and create advantages off of the bounce. He’s a solid athlete, but won’t be able to handle NBA on-ball reps without progression there.

Jakucionis’s shooting threat will help him play on and off-ball, though his pull-up shotmaking bodes well for his on-ball ceiling. He’s one of the best shotmakers in the class, converting all manner of difficult pull-ups, sidesteps and step-back jumpers. That shotmaking prowess, along with Jakucionis’s size at 6’5, will allow him to slide off of the ball and capitalize on titled defenses.

At the apex of his range of outcomes, Jakucionis’s passing, off-dribble shooting and scoring craft could suit him to run the team’s offense. But he’ll most likely end up in a more scaled-down role than his current one at Illinois, which could still end up with Jakucionis developing into a star.

3. VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Edgecombe put a slow start behind him, thriving in conference play against some of his highest-caliber opponents. His advantage creation potential certainly could let him soak up some primary usage in the NBA, as Edgecombe’s burst and explosion mean very few players can keep him out of the paint.

He’ll need tons of work as a handler and as an intermediate scorer, which might suit him better in an off-ball role. As a second-side attacker, Edgecombe will dominate as a driver, torching tilted defenses on easy straight-line drives. He’s a fantastic off-ball shooter, making 36% of his triples this season with plenty of movement threes sprinkled in.

Edgecombe’s defensive potential may outweigh his offensive potential (and nearly made me slot him in the “wing” category). He’ll provide the versatility and rim protection (2.5% block rate) that all of the NBA’s best modern guard defenders do. Even if Edgecombe never evolves into a lead guard, he succeeds in too many ways not to excel as a piece on great basketball teams.

4. Tre Johnson, Texas

Of all the prospects in this top 5, Johnson fits most snugly into the guard bucket. His inability to generate consistent rim pressure and easy shots off of the dribble will likely preclude him from running an offense in the NBA. He’s a phenomenal shooter, arguably the best in the class, which means he won’t need to soak up big usage to add value on offense.

While he isn’t a consistent decision-maker yet, Johnson sports some of the best passing vision, ambidexterity and creativity in the class. His passing chops should let him operate pick and rolls as a secondary creator, adding to his shooting and off-dribble shotmaking from all over the court.

Johnson’s size provides some intriguing defensive upside as well. His effort waxes and wanes like many freshmen guards, but Johnson flashes impressive on-ball and screen navigation ability. It’s easy to imagine Johnson slotting in next to a star initiator, scaling up and down on offense as his team needs. That’s a valuable commodity and one well worth a top-10 pick in a loaded class.

5. Jase Richardson, Michigan State

Richardson might be the best off-ball guard in the entire class, excelling as a complementary scorer for a great Michigan State team. As he’s earned more of Tom Izzo’s trust, Richardson has flashed more of his creation and shotmaking potential, winning with efficient scoring, smart decision making and his excellent handle.

At his ceiling, Richardson could grow into a genuine on-ball creator. His dynamic handle allows him to flummox defenders with changes of pace and speed, and his touch lets him score from all over the floor. Richardson’s low passing volume (14.2% assist rate) and spotty vision might not let him run an offense at the NBA level, though.

On the defensive end, Richardson's instincts and reflexes help him add value on and off of the ball. His decisiveness and confidence shine through on both ends, making him perfectly equipped to attack closeouts, sprint off of screens and run secondary pick and rolls in the NBA.

Honorable Mentions: Labaron Philon, Ben Saraf, Egor Demin, Kam Jones