Devin Vassell is being left out of every conversation about the Spurs' young core

If you were to ask ten Spurs fans to name the players who will define this team's future, you'd likely get the same names back in some order: Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. Fair enough. Those are the stars of the franchise. But somewhere in that conversation, San Antonio's reliable two-way wing keeps getting skipped over entirely.

Devin Vassell has started almost every game he's been healthy over the last four years. He's the exact type of role player every contender claims to want but struggles to find. He doesn't need plays drawn up for him but scores anyway. He guards multiple positions and, plainly, just shows up with his hard hat on, ready to work.

Yet when people talk about the Spurs' future, he's treated less like a building block and more like an afterthought. That's worth digging into because "later" will be here before anyone realizes, and decisions will need to be made.

Vassell has everything the Spurs need from a third star

Vassell signed a five-year extension back in October 2023, worth up to $146 million and fully guaranteed at $135 million. That deal runs through the 2028-29 season—three more years. It sounds like plenty of runway, but it's not, since the aforementioned stars of the team will all be much more expensive by then.

As more players receive their well-earned paydays, Dev will be thrown into more trade rumors unless San Antonio comes up with a plan to retain him. The going theory sees De'Aaron Fox moved before Vassell.

Swipa has the bigger name, so he's received more of the attention surrounding cap management, but that doesn't mean the Georgia native is safe. Bigger decisions just need to happen first.

The Spurs' payroll could make Vassell expendable

Castle will be extension-eligible next summer. He'll command real money. Harper is right on his heels for the following year. Wembanyama's $252 million extension kicks in for the 2027-28 campaign. Fox's $229 million is already on the books. Add in Dev's funds, and you've got a payroll that tightens incredibly fast over the next two offseasons.

That's the actual "is this inevitable" question. The Spurs clearly value Vassell, but the math problem might not let them keep everyone... unless more sacrifices are made.

Taking a pay cut isn't some new phenomenon, but Wemby set that precedent for this iteration of San Antonio's crew when he gave up a potential additional $50 million. If Steph and Harp follow suit, enough money could be left to pay Vassell a respectable wage.

It shouldn't have to fall on the players to sacrifice money for the sake of roster-building when these teams are owned by billionaires, but unfortunately, the current CBA demands it. Or they could not do that and would eventually say goodbye to one of the best role players in the league. Either way, something will have to give.

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