Stephon Castle's Fit on the Sacramento Kings - By the Numbers

With trade rumors flying, a look at how the talented rookie Stephon Castle could fit into Sacramento's long-term plans.
December 1, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) dribbles the basketball against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
December 1, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) dribbles the basketball against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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As the February 6th NBA trade deadline approaches and the rumors around De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings fly, all we can do is sit and wait.

It's been reported that Fox's preferred destination is the San Antonio Spurs, and if the Kings were to pull the trigger and send the star guard to San Antonio, they would likely ask for Stephon Castle, last year's number four pick in the draft, back in return.

Castle is just 42 games into his NBA career but has had an impressive start early on with the Spurs. While his numbers don't jump off the page, the 6-foot-6 guard has shown the ability to do a little bit of everything on the court.

Stephon Castle's 2024-25 stats
Stephon Castle's 2024-25 stats / Will Z.

What jumps out immediately is Castle's height and 6-foot-9 wingspan. The Kings are undersized on a near-nightly basis, and bringing in Castle would immediately help with that regard.

The other aspect of Castle's game that stands out is his versatility. He's the only rookie currently averaging at least 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds, which doesn't sound like much but shows his potential to be a high-impact player across multiple facets of the game, an ever-growing skill in today's NBA.

And that includes both offense and defense. Most players come into the league specializing on one side of the court, but Castle has shown his ability to compete defensively and put his long wingspan to use with 1.5 deflections per game.

If Castle can improve his three-point shooting, he has the potential to blossom into a special player. He has hyper-athleticism, with 27 dunks across 42 games, and will be a participant in the upcoming slam dunk contest.

While he wouldn't fill the shoes of De'Aaron Fox, there aren't many players who can replace Fox's production. The Kings could look to trade for a star player later in their career, such as Jimmy Butler or Bradley Beal, but in terms of young talent that may be on the market, it's hard to ask for more than a versatile guard in Castle.


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Will Zimmerle
WILL ZIMMERLE

Will Zimmerle is a staff writer covering the Sacramento Kings.