The NBA has officially named San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle as a finalist for the 2024-25 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award, capping off a sensational debut season with fans excitedly buzzing.
Castle, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, leads a star-studded trio of finalists, including Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies. With standout performances, clutch playmaking, and consistent impact on both ends of the floor, Castle is the frontrunner to win the prestigious award.
Castle’s rookie campaign by the numbers
- Points Per Game: 14.5 (1st among rookies)
- Total Points: 1,070 (1st)
- Steals: 69 (1st)
- 20+ Point Games: 22 (1st)
- Assists: 287 (3rd)
- Games Played: 81
Castle also made headlines with a near triple-double (15 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists) against the Denver Nuggets and a career-high 33-point performance versus the Charlotte Hornets. His versatility and maturity have drawn comparisons to previous Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, who won the award unanimously last season.
“I feel like, at this point, I pretty much got it locked up,” Castle said confidently with four games left in the season.
NBA Awards finalists for 2024-25 regular season
In addition to Rookie of the Year, the NBA has released finalists for seven major awards honoring excellence across the league.
Kia NBA Most Valuable Player
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Nikola Joki – Denver Nuggets
Kia NBA Rookie of the Year
- Stephon Castle – San Antonio Spurs
- Zaccharie Risacher – Atlanta Hawks
- Jaylen Wells – Memphis Grizzlies
Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Dyson Daniels – Atlanta Hawks
- Draymond Green – Golden State Warriors
- Evan Mobley – Cleveland Cavaliers
Kia NBA Most Improved Player
- Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
- Dyson Daniels – Atlanta Hawks
- Ivica Zubac – LA Clippers
Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year
- Malik Beasley – Detroit Pistons
- Ty Jerome – Cleveland Cavaliers
- Payton Pritchard – Boston Celtics
Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year
- Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks
- Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves
- Nikola Joki – Denver Nuggets
NBA Coach of the Year
- Kenny Atkinson – Cleveland Cavaliers
- J.B. Bickerstaff – Detroit Pistons
- Ime Udoka – Houston Rockets
