NBA Draft

Spurs Guard Locking Up Rookie of the Year

San Antonio guard Stephon Castle has all but locked up the Rookie of the Year Award.

Derek Parker

Mar 19, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) reaches for a pass during the second half against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Mar 19, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) reaches for a pass during the second half against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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The 2024 NBA Draft wasn’t a highly-lauded one, sandwiched between two better cycles without owning a swath of top-tier talent.

Despite that, the crop has gotten off to a decent start in the NBA, offering plenty of roles players to teams both repositioning for the draft and looking to make a run in the postseason.

One of those is Spurs’ guard Stephon Castle, who’s all but locked up the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year Award with dynamic guard play for San Antonio.

Drafted No. 3 overall, Castle was thought of to be one of the best talents in the class, offering two-way potential in an essential wing frame. He’s lived up to the hype, offering a tangible impact at guard, along with decent first-year statistics and potential for the future.

On the year, he’s averaged 14.0 points on a solid 43% shooting, dishing 3.7 assists, grabbing 3.2 rebounds and nabbing 1.0 steals per game. He’s shot just 29% from beyond the arc — a work in progress — but has already shown more potential in that area than previously thought.

Castle has been on a tear to end the season, likely cementing his hardware, and that was especially apparent in the team’s win over the 76ers on Friday night.

Castle added 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting and a career-high 14 assists to just three turnovers, finishing as a team-high +20 in the eight-point win.

He was crucial to the eventual victory showing all facets of his game with scoring, facilitating and defense. Per most major odds-makers, he's the heavy favorite to take home Rookie of the Year.

Castle has had decent competition for the award this season — namely Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells and top pick Zaccharie Risacher — but his still-improving stat-line seems to be the best of the year. And the Spurs look to be coasting towards their second-straight award after Victor Wembanyama’s victory just a season before.

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Derek Parker
DEREK PARKER

Derek Parker covers the National Basketball Association, and has brought On SI five seasons of coverage across several different teams. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2020, and has experience working in print, video and radio.

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