Stephon Castle landed with the San Antonio Spurs at No. 4 in the 2024 NBA Draft after actively avoiding workouts with the Houston Rockets, where he viewed his fit as uncertain. The UConn product was selected ahead of Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, who went third to the Rockets. Castle’s calculated approach helped him avoid a potential mismatch and secure a top-four selection.
Castle, who averaged 18.3 points and 5.6 assists per game in his lone season at UConn, stood out for his playmaking and defensive versatility. His 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame and 6-foot-10 wingspan project well for the NBA. With Houston already featuring Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green in the backcourt, Castle and his camp made it clear they did not want the Rockets to select him.
“I think being (in San Antonio) was always number one on my list,” Castle said. “Internally, I always felt like I was the best player in that draft. (But) I didn’t know what could happen. My agent always told me, like, anything can happen in a draft. Like, you could not work out for a team, not have talked to a team, and they can still take you.”
Zaccharie Risacher became the first overall pick for the Atlanta Hawks, while Alex Sarr went second to the Washington Wizards. The top three selections all came from Kentucky, with Sheppard, Risacher, and Sarr accounting for the first three picks. Castle became the fourth overall selection and the highest non-Kentucky player in the class.
Ime Udoka, a former Spurs assistant who now leads the Rockets, was a vocal supporter of Castle. But despite Udoka’s interest, Houston passed on the UConn star in favor of Sheppard, who averaged 17.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in college.
San Antonio’s selection of Castle gives the Spurs a versatile guard with the upside to become a long-term cornerstone. His ability to create for teammates and his defensive instincts align well with the Spurs’ system. With Dejounte Murray and Tre Jones in the backcourt, Castle will likely begin his career off the bench but has the potential to become a future All-NBA guard.
Castle is projected to be the first player taken in a redraft of the 2024 class. He is expected to make his NBA debut on July 18 when the Spurs open training camp.
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