The San Antonio Spurs are entering the 2026-27 NBA season with sky-high expectations after reaching the NBA Finals, and a big part of that outlook is the rise of Stephon Castle.
Victor Wembanyama remains the centerpiece, but Castle is quickly making a case as the breakout name alongside him. After two strong seasons, the 21-year-old has already established himself as a long-term piece for San Antonio, and his play in the playoffs pushed that conversation even further.
Castle’s defense has stood out from the start, and there’s real upside on the other end too. In the Spurs’ 2026 playoff run, he showed he can match up with the league’s best, including playing a key role in slowing down two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There were still rough patches in the postseason, which comes with the territory for a player his age. Even so, Castle’s second season produced 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, and Richard Jefferson sees more coming in 2026-27.
"I think San Antonio will be number one, and that means typically you get two All-Stars. Now I look at that team, and I’m saying like I think Castle is going to have a bigger role, right? He’s going to have more opportunity, he’s going to have more confidence," Jefferson said about Castle on The Road Trippin' Show.
For San Antonio, that kind of jump would be huge. The Spurs are widely viewed as Wembanyama’s team, and that’s fair. But Castle is part of the reason the ceiling looks so high, and the supporting cast around Wembanyama deserves more attention than it often gets.
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