De’ Aaron Fox is out for the rest of the year. For the Spurs, this is kind of a win-win. After Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the rest of the year, the Spurs playoff chances took a huge hit. Now they can make sure Fox is healthy to start the season next year, while subtly tanking for a better draft pick in the loaded 2025 NBA draft class. There’s another player, however, who will benefit greatly from having Fox out. The Spurs rookie guard, Stephon Castle, is currently in the race to win Rookie of the Year. Without Fox, the Spurs are going to need to lean on Castle more than ever before, making Stephon Castle’s Rookie of the Year chances extremely likely.
Fox’s Injury Impacts NBA Rookie Of The Year Race
De’Aaron Fox Injury Update
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Spurs new star guard had been dealing with a lingering hand injury, and it was announced Thursday night that he will be undergoing surgery to repair his pinky. He isn’t expected to return this season. Fox has been dealing with a tendon injury all the way since training camp. It hasn’t stopped him from performing this season, but he has seen a slight decline in scoring and pretty noticeable decline in his three-point shooting from last season. Last year he shot 36.9% from three whereas this season he only shot 32.2% with the Kings and 27.4% since being traded to the Spurs.
Fox suffered the tendon injury during training camp in October and played through the ailment all season. For the Spurs and Fox, the decision to undergo surgery now was made to expedite the healing process and gain offseason chemistry with the roster based on recovery. https://t.co/JlalhjEUyH
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 13, 2025
The Spurs are hoping by getting Fox’s finger fixed before the offseason that he will be able to enter training camp healthy and have ample time to gel with his new franchise. If the Spurs looked to be heading to the playoffs, Fox probably could have waited to get the surgery.
Castle’s Rookie Year Stats
With Fox out, Castle’s Rookie of the Year case gets even stronger. Castle is already averaging 25.5 minutes per game this season. However, as the Spurs wind down their season, they may want to hand him even more responsibility. This is potentially part of why they shut down Fox.
Castle has had a very good rookie season. Although this season’s draft class hasn’t been all that spectacular, Castle has shown that he is durable, can score, and has some playmaking skills. Castle is averaging 13.4 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game this season. He hasn’t been the most efficient offensively, only shooting 42.5% from the field and 28.3% from beyond the arc, but that can be expected from young rookies.
Stephon Castle’s NBA Rookie of the Year Odds
Right now, Castle’s Rookie of the Year case is better than ever. He is a major contributor to a solid team. That is a lot more than most of these rookies can say. Castle leads all rookies in total points, is fourth in total assists, and is first in total steals.
According to FanDuel.com, Castle is the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He is -950 to win the award, while Jaylen Wells is the second favorite at +1100. Castle’s odds have gotten even higher since the Fox injury. With Fox out, it seems like Castle should walk home with the ROTY award. That will give them back-to-back wins, a great start to rebuilding their dynasty.
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