A few of The Athletic’s writers recently took on a pretty fun task: build the best NBA teams possible using players still on rookie-scale contracts. The pool had 30 names, and the exercise was supposed to weigh both raw talent and how well the pieces fit together.
At the top of the board, the group had no trouble putting Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper in lofty spots. That part makes sense. But Stephon Castle landing outside the top 10 feels off.
Here’s how the three writers stacked their boards:
Will Guillory: Victor Wembanyama (1), Caleb Wilson (6), Amen Thompson (7), Darryn Peterson (12)
James L. Edwards III: Cooper Flagg (2), Brandon Miller (5), Ausar Thompson (8), Stephon Castle (11)
Jared Weiss: Dylan Harper (3), AJ Dybantsa (4), Cam Boozer (9), Kon Knueppel (10)
The Athletic’s combined top 10 also went heavy on upside:
- Victor Wembanyama
- Cooper Flagg
- Dylan Harper
- AJ Dybantsa
- Brandon Miller
- Caleb Wilson
- Amen Thompson
- Ausar Thompson
- Cam Boozer
- Kon Knueppel
That’s a strong list, but Castle missing from it is hard to swallow. Edwards did take him with the 11th pick, which at least puts him in the conversation, but he still went with Ausar Thompson and Brandon Miller first.
Castle’s appeal is that he gives you more ways to build. He can defend, he can create, and he doesn’t need the ball every possession to matter.
That’s exactly why the pairing with Cooper Flagg jumps out. After opening with Flagg, Castle would have been the kind of second pick that makes the rest of the draft easier.
Their defensive versatility together would be a nightmare for opponents trying to score, and the athleticism would turn the open floor into a highlight reel. Flagg could handle the ball, Castle could thrive in the off-ball role he’s best at, and Castle has already shown he can run an offense when needed.
The fit with Wembanyama is even cleaner. Will Guillory took Wemby first, but didn’t take Castle when he had the chance, and that’s the one decision that really stands out. Castle gives you one of the league’s best point-of-attack defenders to put next to maybe the best rim protector ever, while also helping get Wemby the ball and playing off his gravity.
That’s why the Steph and Vic duo keeps getting spotlighted: it works on both ends. It should be an easy choice.
To be clear, none of the picks were outrageous. This wasn’t just an upside draft, and it wasn’t strictly about current production either.
The whole point was balancing talent and fit, and Castle checks both boxes. He’s already one of the league’s most versatile young defenders, he’s shown he can create offense, and his value only rises when you place him next to a superstar like Wembanyama or another elite young player like Flagg.
The more he keeps proving that, the tougher it gets to justify leaving him this low.
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