NBA Draft Prospect Speaks on Comparisons to Detroit Pistons Star

During NBA draft season, countless pro comps are thrown around for all prospects. As one potential lottery pick goes through the draft combine, he spoke on being compared to a key member of the Detroit Pistons' core.

While speaking to media at the draft combine in Chicago, Castle was asked about the players he's been compared to in the past. Among the players he mentioned was Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.

"I’ve heard Cade Cunningham, I’ve heard Marcus Smart, I’ve heard Jrue Holiday. I've heard a lot," Castle said. But I’ve always said it’s blessing to know that people are thinking highly of me and those are great names to be associated with."

Castle's main comparison to Cunningham is their physical stature. Standing at 6-foot-6, he is considered taller for the guard position. This allows him to be a downhill threat on the offensive end, similar to how Cunningham likes to attack defenses for the Pistons.

The young guard has shown flashes as a playmaker, but not to the degree Cunningham did during his lone season at Oklahoma State. Another major similarity between the two is the key weakness in their offensive arsenal, that being three-point shooting.

Most mock drafts have Castle coming off the board in the top ten, and rightfully so. He has the size and length to be effective at the NBA level, and has shown flashes of becoming a three-level scorer down the road. Based on where he's gone in mocks, there's a good chance Castle is still available when the Pistons are on the clock at No. 5.

As for Cunningham, he is coming off a strong bounce-back year for Detroit. After missing most of last season due to injury, the former No. 1 pick got his career back on track in 2024. Cunningham played in 62 games this year and posted averages of 22.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 7.5 APG.