By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-01 15:43:10
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)已经预见到了未来。这就是为什么他总是和这位年轻人形影不离。他想确保斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)也能看到这一点。
比赛已经结束一个小时了，但保罗仍然喋喋不休。只要卡斯尔在身边，这位老控卫就永远不会停下来。
这位马刺新秀称他为“Unc”（俚语，指叔叔），一部分是开玩笑，但更多的是出于尊重。作为回报，保罗会具体指出他的篮球侄子做的所有错事和所有正确的事，当他说这孩子可以比他更出色时，他听起来是认真的。
“这很有趣，”39岁的保罗在弗罗斯特银行中心并排的更衣柜里对卡斯尔说，“因为现在你正在传我通常会传的球。而我不习惯接这样的球。”
20岁的卡斯尔咧嘴一笑，他知道如何接受赞美。他可能不会大声说出来，但他相信保罗对他潜力的看法。
而且，马刺也知道这一点，对吧？
这周卡斯尔绝对不会被交易到任何地方。
听着，没有人会责怪萨克拉门托国王队的询问。国王队正在听取关于后卫达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)的报价，这不是秘密；福克斯想去圣安东尼奥，这也不是秘密；国王队不希望在没有得到至少一名现成的明星级球员作为回报的情况下就放弃他，这也不是秘密。
由于文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)显然是非卖品，卡斯尔——这位来自康涅狄格州的6英尺6英寸的双能卫，在去年六月的NBA选秀大会上排名第四——就成为了马刺队最具吸引力的交易筹码。
但他不是交易筹码。他是圣安东尼奥未来不可或缺的一部分。
如果有人建议任何关于福克斯的交易都必须包含卡斯尔？
他们应该记住，马刺队并不是这里处境 desperate 的那支球队。
国王队才是。
圣安东尼奥是福克斯的首选目的地，这完全合情合理。成为文班亚马的挡拆搭档极具吸引力，而且他的妻子也在这个城市长大。但很可能，他不会是最后一个对马刺抱有如此高评价的全明星球员。
福克斯看起来确实很合适。而且在周四的交易截止日期之前得到他确实有其优势。现在就完成交易可以让马刺队在今年夏天与他续约，并消除其他球队在福克斯2026年成为自由球员之前 swoop in 的可能性。
但这并不意味着马刺应该感到任何压力，必须在本周完成交易。国王队才是需要担心让一位不开心的球星一无所获地离开的球队。他们当然也没有资格强迫马刺队放弃一位才华横溢的新秀，而这位新秀的身上依稀可见科怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)和谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大(Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)的影子。
他会像伦纳德和吉尔杰斯-亚历山大那样接近联盟前五的球员吗？也许不会。他仍然非常稚嫩，尤其是在投篮方面，而且不能保证他的全面比赛能提高到全明星的水平。
但在他新秀赛季的44场比赛中，不难看出保罗看到了什么。卡斯尔已经是一名精英防守者，能够锁死控球后卫和小前锋。他已经在进攻端展现出罕见的爆发力和视野的结合。而且他已经展现出释放更危险版文班亚马的能力，就像他在周五以144-118大胜密尔沃基雄鹿队的比赛中那记精彩的传球一样。
在第四节中段，卡斯尔从左翼强突篮下，击败了陶里安·普林斯(Taurean Prince)进入油漆区。他继续朝着扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)前进，后者已经回防过来协防。但当卡斯尔跃向篮筐，并诱使这位两届联盟MVP起跳后，他将球回传给了文班亚马，后者正好处于一个凶猛的顺下扣篮的完美位置。
“这，”文班亚马说，“就是激励我的能量。”
马刺不应该急于放弃这种能量。他们在重建期间出色地增加了富有成效的年轻球员，为了更进一步，他们需要在某个时候做出一些痛苦的告别。也许会是凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)，他在过去五年里一直是马刺队中最令人钦佩的队友。也许会是德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)或杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)，这两位前乐透秀拥有 undeniable 的天赋，但他们的上限低于冠军争夺者二当家的水平。
没有理由认为会与卡斯尔告别，即使在他打得 reckless 的时候，他的运动能力和潜力也让马刺队着迷。
“他可能偶尔会把车撞坏，”马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说。“我认为任何人都有可能这样，当你开得那么快，而且经验不足的时候。”
他们无意拿走卡斯尔的钥匙。他们不想看着他开别人的车。他们也没有理由在他弄清楚一切之前就让他离开。
在文班亚马身上，选秀大会已经给了新时代的马刺一份来自篮球之神的礼物。在卡斯尔身上，他们可能拥有另一份礼物。
他的篮球叔叔对此深信不疑。
“这就是为什么我一直在他身边，”保罗说。
他看到了未来。
也看到了什么将会留下。
无论萨克拉门托如何恳求。
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) drives on Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 in San Antonio. Castle scored 20 points in a losing effort as Memphis beat the Spurs 140-112.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dunks over guard Desmond Bane (22) and center Jay Huff (30) in the second half at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Grizzles, 129-115.
Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) guards San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) at the net during the second half at Frost Bank Center on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs defeated the Bucks 144-118.
点击查看原文：Why Stephon Castle should be off-limits in Spurs' trade talks
Why Stephon Castle should be off-limits in Spurs’ trade talks
Chris Paul sees what’s coming. That’s why he keeps the young fella so close. He wants to make sure Stephon Castle sees it, too.
The game’s been over for an hour, but Paul still hasn’t stopped yapping. Around Castle, the old point guard never does.
The Spurs rookie calls him “Unc,” in part as a joke but mostly out of respect. In return, Paul specifies everything his basketball nephew does wrong, and everything he does right, and he sounds like he means it when he says the kid can be better than he ever was.
“It’s funny,” the 39-year-old Paul tells Castle at their side-by-side lockers inside Frost Bank Center, “because now you’re throwing the passes that I’m usually throwing. And I’m not used to catching ’em.”
The 20-year-old Castle grins and laughs, understanding how to take a compliment. He might not say it out loud, but he believes the same thing Paul does about his potential.
And knowing that the Spurs do, as well?
There’s no way Castle is moving anywhere this week.
Look, nobody blames Sacramento for asking. It’s no secret that the Kings are listening to offers for guard De’Aaron Fox, and it’s no secret that Fox wants to come to San Antonio, and it’s no secret that the Kings aren’t eager to give him away without acquiring at least one ready-made star-caliber player in return.
With Victor Wembanyama obviously off-limits, Castle — the 6-foot-6 two-way dynamo from Connecticut who was the No. 4 overall in last June’s NBA draft — stands as the Spurs’ most attractive trade piece.
But he’s not a trade piece. He’s an integral part of San Antonio’s future.
And if anyone suggests that Castle has to be included in any deal for Fox?
They should remember that the Spurs aren’t the desperate team here.
The Kings are.
It makes perfect sense that San Antonio is Fox’s preferred destination. Becoming Wembanyama’s pick-and-roll partner holds major appeal, as does living in the city where his wife grew up. But chances are, he won’t be the last All-Star who holds the Spurs in similar esteem.
Fox does look like a great fit. And acquiring him before Thursday’s trade deadline does come with its advantages. Doing it now would allow the Spurs to sign him to an extension this summer, and eliminate the possibility that another team could swoop in before Fox becomes a free agent in 2026.
But that doesn’t mean the Spurs should feel any pressure to get something done this week. The Kings are the ones who have to worry about letting an unhappy star player get away with nothing in return. And they’re certainly in no position to force the Spurs to part ways with an immensely talented rookie with shades of Kawhi Leonard and Shea Gilgeous-Alexander in his repertoire.
Will he ever come close to being a top-five player in the league, as both Leonard and Gilgeous-Alexander have been? Maybe not. He’s still awfully raw, especially as a shooter, and there are no guarantees his all-around game improves enough to be an All-Star.
But through 44 games of his rookie season, it’s not hard to see what Paul does. Already, Castle is an elite defender, capable of locking down point guards and small forwards. Already, he’s exhibited a rare blend of burst and vision at the offensive end of the court. And already, he’s shown the ability to unleash an even more dangerous version of Wembanyama, like he did on a brilliant play in Friday’s 144-118 romp over Milwaukee.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Castle drove hard toward the basket from the left wing, beating Taurean Prince to the paint. He kept going right at Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’d dropped down to help. But once Castle rose toward the basket, and baited the two-time league MVP into leaving his feet, he whipped the ball back to Wembanyama, who was in perfect position for a ferocious down-the-lane dunk.
“This,” Wembanyama says, “is the energy that I get inspired by.”
And the Spurs should be in no hurry to part with it. They’ve done a fine job during their rebuild of adding productive young pieces, and to take the next step they will need to say some painful goodbyes at some point. Maybe that will be with Keldon Johnson, who’s been as admirable of a teammate as the Spurs have had over the past half-decade. Maybe it will be with Devin Vassell or Jeremy Sochan, two former lottery picks with undeniable talent but with ceilings below that of a No. 2 option on a championship contender.
There’s just no reason to think a farewell is happening with Castle, who tantalizes the Spurs with his athleticism and potential even in the moments when his play looks reckless.
“He may crash the car every now and then,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson says. “I think it’s fair that anybody would, when you drive that fast and aren’t as experienced.”
They have no intention of taking away Castle’s keys. They have no desire to watch him drive somebody else’s car. And they have no reason to let him get away before he figures it all out.
In Wembanyama, the draft already gave the new-era Spurs one gift from the basketball gods. In Castle, they might have another.
His basketball uncle is sure of it.
“That’s why I’m on him all the time,” Paul says.
He sees what’s coming.
And what’s staying.
No matter how hard Sacramento asks.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News