Keeping Devin Vassell brings Spurs minimal amount of long-term risk

The Spurs are once again transitioning, even if it’s just for a short time at the end of the season, as they had injuries to key players occur this year. With Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox both out, the tankathon began. As they look for a better draft position, with assets to make that position even better once the lottery is complete, the conversation turns toward roster improvements.

Stephon Castle has shone bright over the last several games, becoming the focal point of the offense, showing Silver and Black Nation what they can look forward to over the next several seasons.

The rise of Castle makes other players expendable. That word can take on several meanings—for some players, expendable means they’ll no longer be employed by the organization after this season.

For others like Devin Vassell—it means his role changes

Vassell has taken some criticism from Spurs faithful, as there’s belief his play hasn’t justified his contract signed a few years ago. Dev signed the richest deal in Spurs history in 2023, agreeing to a $146 million extension.

There’s a caveat to this deal that some fans may not be aware of, however, which minimizes the Spurs risk of keeping Vassell as a key cog on the roster.

In a usual shrewd move by the Spurs front office, the contract they signed Vassell to keep their financial viability open through 2028-29. They’ll need it when they try to sign core players like Wembanyama and Stephon Castle to new deals.

The money Vassell makes now is too much for a third or fourth option on the team. His numbers this season are down too, which doesn’t help his case. As the years go on, this contract will look much better.

If Vassell comes back with a vengeance next season, the discussion becomes moot. Spurs Nation would love that to happen, obviously. If Devin’s play continues as it’s been, the contract will be a reasonable one for a third option. The Spurs win either way.

There was obviously cause for concern with Vassell’s play. He was hurt to start the season, and it took the entire season to get into a rhythm.

He's been better in March, and his last five games have shown even more promise, as he’s knocked down 18 threes at a 45% clip. He’s averaging 20.6 points per game over this stretch—far greater than his season average of 16.5 a game.  The Florida St. product is also still only 24 years old.

There’s plenty of promise left for Vassell, but the patience of the fans, and likely the organization, is waning. The deal’s a team-friendly one, but if his consistency doesn’t improve, the once-thought core piece could be dealt before his deal runs out.