The San Antonio Spurs have their young core in place, and they aren't expected to make a trade to shake things up.
The San Antonio Spurs have emerged as one of the best teams in the NBA, with wins already over the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The scary thing? They're only going to get better. The Spurs have been linked to some of the best players on the NBA trade market, although youngsters like Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper are clearly untouchable.
De'Aaron Fox, as well, won't be traded anytime soon. He just signed a maximum contract extension.
Joining the "untouchable" ranks is second-year guard Stephon Castle. Since returning from a calf injury, he is averaging 21.8 points, five assists, 5.8 rebounds, and is shooting an eye-popping 38.9% from 3-point range.
“I'm not sure they would trade him for anybody in the league," said ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "They love Castle, they love everything about his makeup, they love everything about the way he competes, and they love everything about how he's willing to improve. They love Stephon Castle.”
When the Spurs drafted Castle, his outside shot was his biggest concern. In his rookie season, he made only 28.5% of his attempts, and in his first 13 games this season, he shot only 24% from behind the arc.
Now, he's sharing the floor with both Harper and Fox for the first time, and the addition of floor spacers and ball-handlers has really opened up the floor. Of course, he would prefer to drive and attack the basket, but he has shown that he can be a viable threat from all over the floor.
Why on Earth would the Spurs want to break that up?
Castle has taken great leaps in his second season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Of course, he's only 21 years old and is expected to get even better in the coming seasons. While he will never be a two-time MVP like Giannis Antetokounmpo, he fits in well with the current roster and has a much longer prime still in front of him.
The Spurs, Rockets, and Thunder are really the only three teams in a spot to sprun the Milwaukee Bucks, and those three teams could offer the best trade package in a deal for the superstar. However, as they all continue to roll through the rest of the league, it looks like the Bucks might have to settle for a second-rate deal.
The Spurs have no desire to mess with a good thing, and Castle's continued breakout is one of their greatest victories so far in this young season.