It’s safe to say De’Aaron Fox is full of joy since he has joined forces with Stephon Castle on the San Antonio Spurs.
In a season full of surprising trades, the San Antonio Spurs’ trade for De’Aaron Fox has been described as a heist.
After all, the Spurs managed to pull off the trade without surrendering their star rookie Stephon Castle.
Long-term the Spurs essentially have a dynamic duo of Victor Wembanyama and Fox, while Castle’s growth can soon make him the third prong in the team’s potential three-pronged attack.
The fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft has already shown great signs of growth in his rookie year. A key skill that Castle possesses is his insane hops and speed.
As a result, Castle has been dubbed as the next Fox as well. But most expected the Spurs to part ways with the rookie if they went in to trade for Fox.
However, Fox ensured that the Spurs kept their talented 20-year-old on the roster.
“I want him here. I texted him like, ‘You’re a big reason why I wanted to come here,’” Fox revealed earlier.
It may have been a surprise but the Spurs succeeded in convincing the Sacramento Kings for a trade without giving up Castle.
So far, Fox has played five games for the Spurs, which should be enough for him to gauge the potential of his teammates.
Fox recently shared his honest thoughts on Castle and named one thing that surprised him about the rookie.
“He’s much taller and much bigger than people expect. Even when we were playing against him, I didn’t realize he was that big. Now I’ve been around him, I’m like god damn he’s legit 6’6,” Fox said of Castle.
Fox also commented on his teammate’s potential, saying: “I think the jump that he can take could be amazing, could be crazy.”
The 27-year-old drew comparisons with his own career as he explained the biggest jump he took was going from his rookie year to his sophomore season.
If Fox’s prediction turns out to be correct, the rest of the NBA should keep an eye on the Spurs’ prodigy next season. As for this season, Castle has averaged 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game over 51 appearances.
