Should Blazers Draft UConn’s Stephon Castle?

The Portland Trail Blazers are eyeing a few top prospects for the 2024 NBA Draft, and among them are UConn guard Stephon Castle.

Castle, 19, helped UConn win its second straight national championship in his freshman season, and he has declared for the draft, making him a one-and-done prospect. However, if he were to join the Blazers, the fit would be questionable.

Here’s what Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has to say about the potential fit:

The Portland Trail Blazers will be in a tricky spot at draft time with young guards who need minutes and contractual commitments to forward Jerami Grant and center Deandre Ayton. Roster changes seem needed at some point, so fit shouldn’t factor too much into the front office’s decision.

A mix of 6’6” size, playmaking, lockdown defense and offensive rebounding represent differentiator skills and traits that make Stephon Castle and his archetype extra compelling.

Even without a jump shot, you could feel his impact in other ways during Connecticut’s national title run, when he showcased his passing, tough driving, perimeter defense and knack for being in the right spots at the right times to finish plays.

Improved shooting would unlock upside, though teams could still see a useful Swiss Army knife who won’t need to make threes.

Castle wouldn’t necessarily have to occupy one of the guard spots, but he can defend other lead guards, making him versatile on defense.

But how many lineups could the Blazers get away with that have Castle alongside Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe? Or Scoot Henderson and Sharpe?

Adding another guard would be a questionable fit. However, the Blazers are in position to where they are simply looking for talent over fit.

Castle has a lot of upside on the defensive end, and that’s something the Blazers certainly need more of, but is the fit too far out of left field to make sense?

The Blazers won’t bring him in unless they feel like he wouldn’t make sense at all, but nothing is a guarantee with the current roster situation, and everyone’s future should be questioned.

BE community, what do you think about Castle? Chime off in the comments below.