Castle reflects on the 2024 draft: I never thought about going to the Rockets; I only wanted to be picked by the Spurs to play alongside Wembanyama.

On June 10th Beijing time, looking back at the 2024 draft lottery stage, Spurs sophomore guard Stephen Castle had already solidified his decision.

"I value San Antonio's defensive philosophy, and teaming up with Wembanyama gives me a massive edge," Castle stated during a recent interview. "I've always believed this was the ideal situation for me, and that's exactly how it turned out."

The University of Connecticut product considers himself the strongest player in his draft class, but he wasn't fixated on being the No. 1 pick; team fit was his top priority. At the time, reports indicated he turned down individual workouts with multiple teams to avoid those that already had established starting point guards.

The Houston Rockets were one of those teams. The final result of that draft: Zaccharie Risacher went first overall (Hawks), Alex Sarr second (Wizards), and the Rockets selected Reed Sheppard from Kentucky with the third pick. According to league sources, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka (a former Spurs assistant) was very fond of Castle—something Castle was well aware of. However, with veteran Fred VanVleet holding down the point guard spot and Jalen Green at shooting guard for Houston, Castle and his camp signaled they were not interested in joining, and he ultimately landed with the Spurs.

"Joining the Spurs was always my top choice," said Castle, the 2025 Rookie of the Year. "Deep down, I felt I was the best player in that draft class, but there are so many variables. My agent always reminded me that even without workouts or communication, a team could still take you. I never thought about going to the Rockets; I just quietly hoped to be picked by the Spurs, and that's exactly what happened."

The Spurs now have two ball-handling core players in Fox and Dylan Harper, but Castle's role within the team remains irreplaceable. In Game 3 of the Finals, he scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists with only 2 turnovers, posting a plus-minus of +6—an impressive performance.