The San Antonio Spurs have exercised their third-year, $10 million team option on Stephon Castle for the 2026–27 season, securing the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year for another year. The Spurs also picked up Victor Wembanyama’s fourth-year, $16.87 million option as expected.
Castle, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, signed with the Spurs on July 2, 2024, and made an immediate impact. He averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 26.7 minutes over 81 games, earning Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors in January and March 2025.
Castle’s standout performances included a career-high 33 points in a 117–116 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on February 7, and he participated in the 2025 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, finishing as runner-up to Mac McClung.
Wembanyama, meanwhile, delivered historic performances in his second NBA season. On November 13, 2024, he scored a career-high 50 points with eight three-pointers in a 139–130 win over the Washington Wizards. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to record 30-plus points and 10-plus blocks in a game at 20 years and 352 days old.
The French center finished the 2024–25 season averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and led the league with 3.8 blocks per game before being shut down in February due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Wembanyama also set multiple franchise records, including a 62-game block streak, surpassing David Robinson.
