5 best free-agent point guards

This is the golden age of point guards.

Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Stephen Curry, John Wall, Damian Lillard, Mike Conley, Goran Dragic. The list of All-Star caliber point guards runs on and on. 

There aren't any of that quality to be found in this year's free-agent crop, but there still are several serviceable back-ups and one or two solid starters. And that's not a strike against them - it's just a testament to the current depth at the position.

1. Kyle Lowry (unrestricted)

Lowry, without question, is the crown jewel of the free-agent point guard crop. He's the only one who comes close to replicating the production of the aforementioned stars. He led the Raptors to a franchise-high in wins last season, and has plenty of years left in his prime.

But Lowry does come with plenty of question marks, starting with his attitude. Lowry is outspoken, both in his play and in his demeanor, which sometimes leads him to clash with coaches, as he did with Toronto's Dwane Casey and Houston's Kevin McHale. Lowry isn't the type to take a backseat to anyone, not even to his superiors.

There's also the matter of health. Lowry has been dogged by bouts of injury throughout his career. He has only ever played 82 games in a season once in his eight-year career.

But when healthy, and when happy, Lowry is a highly productive guard on both ends of the floor. He led the league in charges taken last season, and he developed into an excellent three-point shooter from the wings. If a team can harness his abilities, they'll land themselves an excellent floor-leader.

2. Isaiah Thomas (restricted)

Kings guard Isaiah Thomas has been overlooked his entire career. He was drafted with the 60th overall pick in the 2011 draft, and has carved out a very respectable three-year career in Sacramento thus far.

The criticism on Thomas falls time, and time again on his height, or lack-there-of. Standing at 5-foot-9, his size betrays him, especially on defense. Although he's a somewhat reliable pick-pocket, he simply concedes too much size to just about every player he guards. 

But overlook Thomas at your own peril - dude can ball. He's a crafty guard that knows how to pick defenses apart, both with his scoring, and his passing. His numbers are nothing to sneeze at, and he always finds some way to dart his way to the basket.

3. Greivis Vasquez (restricted)

The Raptors' back-up finds himself behind Lowry yet again. Although Vasquez is nobody's starting point guard, he's one of the league's best back-up guards.

Vasquez is a unique player. He has great size for his position at 6-foot-6, but he's also a tremendously poor defender thanks to his lack of foot-speed. He's also quite streaky as his jumpshot seems to come and go at the best of times.

But he is an excellent facilitator, especially in the pick-and-roll. The last time he found himself a full-time starting position, he led the league in assists, mostly by finding the big in pick-and-rolls. He's a crafty player who understands how to exploit defenses with his timing.

And he has versatility to boot. He's entirely comfortably with playing in two-point guard lineups, and would be an upgrade for just about every backcourt in the league, provided there's a good rim-protector behind him to help on defense.

4. Shaun Livingston (unrestricted)

At one time, Livingston was considered one of the most promising point guard prospects ever to step on the hardwood. Standing at 6-foot-7 with excellent intuitive passing instincts, Livingston was supposed to rank among the league's best.

But his career was tragically stunted by a horrific leg injury. It robbed him of his prime, and has made his return to the game an grueling task.

And yet, he's made it back, and made it big-time as a member of the Nets last season. His defense and versatility was so good, Nets head coach Jason Kidd elected to start him over resident star Deron Williams. 

The big guard has many tools in his arsenal. He's a great defender, he's a good facilitator, and he's excellent with his back to the basket. Although he's without the athleticism that once defined his future, Livingston has the craft and guile to use his size to his advantage.

The only knock on him is the lack of three-point shooting. He simply can't shoot from outside of 18 feet out. But in the right scheme surrounded by shooters, he can flourish.

5. Patty Mills (unrestricted)

One of the Spurs' breakout stars last season was Mills, who took the league by storm with his trigger-happy ways from deep. The man known as "Patty thrills" undergone the impressive transformation from professional towel-waiver to legitimate fill-in for Tony Parker.

Mills' skills best suit a back-up role. He's not much of a facilitator, and his mindset is fixed on shoot-first, pass-later. It's for good reason, as Mills is an excellent three-point shooter.

But there are concerns beyond his play, and they concern the removal of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's system from the equation. How much of Mills' brilliance was Pop's doing? How much did he benefit from playing with three future Hall-of-Famers? No one is sure, which makes Mills a risky gamble. 

Note: Suns guard Eric Bledsoe was omitted from this list because the Suns will match any offers floated his way. For a full list of free-agent point guards, check out our primer.