San Antonio Spurs Guard Stephon Castle Named NBA Rookie of the Year After Impressive First Season
Stephon Castle has been named the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the second consecutive San Antonio Spurs player to win the prestigious honor after Victor Wembanyama claimed the award in 2024.
Castle earned a dominant 482 total points in voting, finishing well ahead of Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks (245 points) and Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies (123 points). Rounding out the top five were Alex Sarr (Washington) and Zach Edey (Memphis).
Drafted fourth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft after leading UConn to a second straight NCAA title as a freshman, Castle emerged as a key contributor in his first year with San Antonio. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game over 81 appearances (47 starts), shooting 42.8% from the field.
🏀 Stephon Castle 2024–25 Season Stats:
– 14.7 PPG
– 4.1 APG
– 3.7 RPG
– 0.9 SPG
– 42.8 FG% / 28.5 3P%
– 26.4 minutes per game
Castle began the season as a bench player behind veteran Chris Paul, but a late-season injury to De’Aaron Fox propelled him into a starting role, where he flourished alongside Paul in the backcourt.
A Rookie Standout in a Quiet Draft Class
Castle’s selection comes in what many viewed as a weaker rookie class, with top picks like Risacher and Sarr still developing their games. Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick, averaged 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds on solid shooting splits (45.8% FG, 35.5% 3P), while Sarr, the No. 2 pick, showed flashes but struggled with efficiency, shooting just 39.4% overall.
Highly touted Reed Sheppard, selected third by Houston, saw limited minutes and impact in his rookie season, averaging just 4.4 points in 12.6 minutes per game.
A Bright Future in San Antonio
Castle’s two-way play and defensive maturity made him the clear standout among rookies. Often tasked with guarding top opposing scorers, he quickly earned trust on both ends of the floor. Paired with Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, Castle forms a promising young trio that gives the Spurs a strong core heading into the future.
With another lottery pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, San Antonio has a chance to further bolster a young roster that now includes back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners.
