Who won NBA Rookie of the Year award? Looking at 2 finalists who fell short of the honor

The 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year award went to San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, marking the second consecutive year a Silver and Black player received it after Victor Wembanyama's stellar 2023-24 season.

Castle averaged 14.7 points on 42.8/28.5/72.4 percent shooting splits. He also averaged 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists through 81 games played. He started in 47 games this season.

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Castle's win also marks the fourth time that a Spurs rookie was given the NBA Rookie of the Year award. David Robinson was the first, bringing it home in 1990. He was followed by Tim Duncan in 1998.

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Who were the other two finalists for the NBA Rookie of the Year award?

Aside from Stephon Castle, two other players received consideration for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. The first is 2024 number one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks. The other is Memphis Grizzlies wing, who was taken with the ninth pick of the second round (39th overall).

Rissacher played in 75 games and started in 73 for Atlanta. He averaged 12.6 ppg on shooting splits of 45.8/35.5/71.1%. His contributions helped the Atlanta Hawks to a 40-42 record, which was the eighth-best in the West. However, the Hawks did not qualify for a postseason berth after losing to the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament.

As for Wells, he emerged as a defensive standout for the Grizzlies. He played in 79 games, where he averaged 10.4 points on splits of 42.5/35.2/82.2%. Wells' rookie season was cut short after suffering a broken right wrist and facial lacerations against the Hornets on April 8.

Wells had a fast break opportunity with no defenders in front of him when he elevated for a dunk. Hornets guard KJ Simpson, who was in pursuit, inadvertently undercut him, causing Wells to fall to the ground. Immediately after, Simpson looked distraught as he checked on Wells. Wells would be wheeled off the court on a stretcher while the Hornets' home fans cheered for him. Simpson would post a heartfelt apology to Wells and his family.

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Stephon Castle received 92 first-place votes for the NBA Rookie of the Year award while Zaccharie Risacher and Jaylen Wells received five and three, respectively.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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Edited by William Paul