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How would you rank these guards on trade value? The order below is based on 2024 salary.

Rankings can be just for offensive-minded, just for defensive-minded, or for all together.

Offensive-Minded Players
Herro
Simons
Sexton
Reaves

Defensive-Minded Players
Smart
D. White
Dort
Nesmith (technically not a guard but including anyways since similar to Dort imo)
Caruso

These are such wildly different types of players that it's hard to rank them 1:1

Ah, makes sense. I'll edit this post (can't seem to delete) and split it into offensive and defensive

D White

Dort
Smart
Nesmith
Caruso
Simons
Herro

Reaves
Sexton

I value defense more than a lot of NBA fans.

Tiers

D White

Sexton
Dort

Smart
Nesmith
Caruso
Simons
Reaves
Herro

It's weird though, because a team needing offense could value Simons/Reaves/Herro more than Nesmith/Caruso/Smart, especially a non win-now team. But this is generally how I rank them for a team who wants to win games and has some sort of offensive focal point in place already.

Offensive
Herro
Simons
Reaves
Sexton

Defensive
Derrick White - way ahead of the rest
Dort
Smart
Caruso
Nesmith

Offense:
Reaves
Sexton
Herro
Simons

Defense:
Smart
Caruso
Dort
Nesmith

Both:
White (well above the rest)

Reaves
Simons
Herro
Sexton

White*
Dort**
Caruso
Nesmith

The defensive rankings are complicated by the fact that White's contract status remains in limbo and, after watching both of OKC's series, I can honestly say that I have no idea how Dort's going to be officiated going forward. He fouled Ingram every other play and got it away with it, whereas he was in foul trouble for the vast majority of the Dallas series when he was on Luka.

I ranked them by comparing their contract status to their EPM percentile, fwiw. If White was under contract for another year, I would have him first.

Smart, MEM, $20.21MM, 2y, 93 %EPM
Sexton, UTA, $18.15MM, 2y, 89 %EPM
D. White, BOS, $19.57MM, 1y, 95 %EPM
Caruso, CHI, $9.89MM, 1y, 90 %EPM

Nesmith, IND, $11MM, 3y, 81 %EPM
Dort, OKC, $16.5MM, 3y (TO), 79 %EPM
Herro, MIA, $29MM, 3y, 82 %EPM

Reaves, LAL, $12.98MM, 3y (PO), 56 %EPM
Simons, POR, $25.89MM, 2y, 64 %EPM

White

Herro
Sexton

Dort
Reaves

Smart
Caruso

Simons
Neismith

there are gaps between how much some can do on one end or the other

Not sure there's a definitive answer here. Depends on team needs in their backcourt.

If you already have a scoring guard you would pay more for a defensive guy like Caruso/Dort.

If you are a team like the Magic (love the Magic just using them as an example) then you obviously pay up a bit more for a guard that can put the ball in the basket. One team might need 3 pt shooting and another might need a guy who can drive past his man and put pressure on the rim.

Colbinii wrote:Tiers

D White

Sexton
Dort

Smart
Nesmith
Caruso
Simons
Reaves
Herro

It's weird though, because a team needing offense could value Simons/Reaves/Herro more than Nesmith/Caruso/Smart, especially a non win-now team. But this is generally how I rank them for a team who wants to win games and has some sort of offensive focal point in place already.

It’s a great point. Value in a vacuum is a pretty meaningless measurement and topic to argue. Something I’ll slip into sometimes.