For the first time since Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns brought home the Rookie of the Year plums in 2015 and 2016, a pair of teammates secured the honors back-to-back. Stephon Castle succeeded his San Antonio Spurs teammate Victor Wembanyama as the holder of the award.
This year's result wasn't really in question, particularly during the final weeks of the regular season, as Castle has proven to be the best of his rookie class this season. Finishing as runners-up were Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies. Others who received votes include Alex Sarr, Zach Edey, Kel'el Ware, Matas Buzelis, and Jared McCain.
Unfortunately, no Charlotte Hornets player appeared on the ballot as Tidjane Salaun had an underwhelming rookie campaign that he didn't even appear in the first round of a redraft of the 2024 rookie class, while KJ Simpson played as expected of a second-round selection.
Stephon Castle-like players could be available for the Hornets in the 2025 draft
Maybe this offseason, the Hornets can find their own Castle — a big, athletic, malleable guard who can make an impact on both ends of the floor right off the gate.
On second thought, they would likely rather land a Wembanyama-like prospect, someone who can make a difference immediately and has the potential to be a superstar one day. Cooper Flagg fits the profile, for sure. However, the Duke University product seems to be the consensus No. 1 pick, so the only way Charlotte picks him up is if it wins the draft lottery.
If Buzz City gets a later selection, it should hope to acquire Dylan Harper, a combo guard who fits the Stephon Castle mold. The Rutgers University product has the tools to crash any squad's starting lineup from the get-go and eventually develop into a star one day. With the Hornets, he looks like he can slot perfectly alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
Another prospect worth exploring is VJ Edgecombe of Baylor University. The Bahamian hoopster could be the perfect complement for Charlotte's current core because of his scary potential on defense. Offensively, he doesn't need the ball to be effective and has shown the ability to knock down long-distance shots. It would also be exciting to watch Ball and Edgecombe in the open court because of the former's court vision and the latter's athleticism.
If the Hornets are fortunate enough to seize either guard, the league just might see another Hornet win the Rookie of the Year award after Ball edged out Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton in the 2021 race.