2024 NBA Mock Draft: Spurs prioritize two-way talents, Magic land surprise steal

Predicting how the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft will unfold with less than a week to go.
Paris Basket v Bourg en Bresse Basket - Betclic Elite
Paris Basket v Bourg en Bresse Basket - Betclic Elite / Aurelien Meunier/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 30
Next
Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) cuts the basketball net after winning the Men's NCAA national championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024.
Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) cuts the basketball net after winning the Men's NCAA national championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY

Pick No. 4: San Antonio Spurs select Stephon Castle

This is an extremely pivotal draft for the San Antonio Spurs, who also have the No. 8 overall pick. Rookie of the Year and last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, has already ascended to superstar status despite being only 20 years old. It’s imperative that the Spurs hit on at least one of their top ten picks to surround Wemby with more talent to build around. Not only do they have more pressure to make a playoff push by as early as next season, but they likely won’t find themselves in a position to pick in the top five again, as long as Wembanyama remains healthy.

San Antonio could take this pick in several directions, including Matas Buzelis or Reed Sheppard, if he's still on the board. In this scenario, they go with UConn guard Stephon Castle. As a freshman at Connecticut, Castle averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 47/27/76 shooting splits. The main concern with Castle is whether he can progress to become a capable floor spacer at the next level; this is even more critical when playing alongside someone like Wemby, who consistently draws double teams.

However, Castle is one of the best defenders in the entire draft class. At 6-foot-6, he has elite positional size for someone who views himself as a point guard in the NBA. With Castle and Wemby, the Spurs would establish a new team identity predicated on length and defensive versatility.