Stephon Castle, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells Headline 2024-25 NBA All-Rookie Team
Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle and runner-up Zaccharie Risacher led the way for the 2024-25 NBA All-Rookie team.
The San Antonio Spurs guard and Atlanta Hawks forward occupied two of the five spots on the first team. They were joined by Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells, Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr and Grizzlies center Zach Edey.
All-Rookie First Team
- Stephon Castle, G, San Antonio Spurs
- Jaylen Wells, F, Memphis Grizzlies
- Zaccharie Risacher, F, Atlanta Hawks
- Alex Sarr, C, Washington Wizards
- Zach Edey, C, Memphis Grizzlies
All-Rookie Second Team
- Matas Buzelis, F, Chicago Bulls
- Bub Carrington, G, Washington Wizards
- Donovan Clingan, C, Portland Trail Blazers
- Yves Missi, C, New Orleans Pelicans
- Kel'el Ware, C, Miami Heat
Castle was the runaway ROY winner, collecting 92 first-place votes to five for Risacher and three for Wells. His dominant victory reflected both his performance and the lack of a standout candidate from the 2024 rookie class.
Castle appeared in all but one of San Antonio's games, averaging 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. His best performance came in a narrow loss to the Charlotte Hornets in February, when he had 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
The Spurs needed to make the most of their lottery pick last season because they won't have many more opportunities to get good, young cost-controlled talent with Victor Wembanyama on the roster. San Antonio may have hit a home run with the former UConn star.
While neither Risacher nor Sarr dominated on the court, the French internationals showed why they were the top two picks in the 2024 draft.
Risacher averaged 12.6 points and shot 35.5 percent from beyond the arc. More impressive than the raw numbers was the fact he was a full-time starter on a team that won 40 games and pushed for a playoff bid.
Sarr, meanwhile, had the much more common arc for a lottery pick. He put up 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for a bad Wizards squad that had the NBA's second-worst record (18-64).
Wells is perhaps the biggest surprise from the 2024 draft so far. It took him six games to earn a promotion to the starting unit, and he logged the third-most minutes on the Grizzlies. As with Risacher, his somewhat lackluster stats (10.4 points and 1.7 assists) are balanced against the fact he was sharing the floor with established stars aiming for the postseason. That's quite a crucible for a first-year player.
Edey, the 7'4" standout who starred at Purdue, made an instant impact with the Grizzlies to the tune of 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while making 55 starts across 66 total appearances.
