2024 NBA Lottery Mock Draft: Blazers swing for upside, Spurs stockpile guards

6. Charlotte Hornets draft Stephon Castle

Stephon Castle’s landing spot in the draft is difficult to project. Castle views himself as a point guard in the NBA and hasn’t worked out for teams with established point guards. However, the majority of teams that are selecting in the range that Castle projects to go in already have promising lead guards. The Pistons (pick No. 5) have Cade Cunningham, the Trail Blazers (No. 7) have Scoot Henderson, and the Grizzlies (pick No. 9) have Ja Morant.

The Hornets also have their star guard, LaMelo Ball. However, that shouldn’t dissuade them from selecting the NCAA national champion. Despite being a Freshman, Castle was a pivotal reason why UConn repeated. He’s an elite role player who knows how to find ways to impact winning without scoring or even needing the ball in his hands. Castle would be perfect as a “glue guy” to complement Ball and Brandon Miller, who are more ball-dominant players.

The main concern with Castle isn’t his fit; it’s whether he’d buy into coming into a team like Charlotte where he wouldn’t be the main ballhandler. Given his potential alongside Ball and Miller, the risk with Castle here is worth it. It would also provide them point guard insurance if Ball ever decides to leave Charlotte.