Shocking Spurs wing is on the trade block if the latest rumors are true

It's currently full-fledged rumor season, and one recent rumor will have Spurs fans surprised.

Devin Vassell is on the trade block

Among other regular names on the block is now Vassell’s, according to Jake Fischer. The sharp-shooting wing signed the largest deal in Spurs history at the time just a few years back, and now he’s gotten himself engulfed in rumors about being traded.

The team has a logjam. Brian Wright and co. have developed nicely over the past few years to include draft picks, trades, and signings; now the team is ten players deep, and there will be battles for minutes, with some being the odd men out.

One Frost Bank Parkway is aiming for the playoffs. Some would expect them to be content with making the play-in round, but it appears the team is shooting for higher than that.

To become that team, they likely need another piece. Although Vassell signed the highest deal in team history, his average annual value on the rest of his contract is just over $26 million per season (26.4), which is a reasonable deal in today’s NBA. The money wouldn’t preclude him from being traded.

For Spurs fans, they seem split on whether they’d like to see Vassell go. Dev is still a young player—only 24 years old—under team control for another four seasons. He’s a lottery pick who’s shown an ability to be a consistent scorer in this league.

The detractors say the Florida State product took a step back last season, and the stats would agree. Nearly all of his numbers were down across the board; points per game dropped by more than three per game, and assists dropped by more than one per game.

The 6'5" wing’s shooting percentage was down, with his two-point makes dropping by 3.1%, from .544 to .513 this season. His three-point percentage was down to 36.8% this season, and his overall field goal percentage was 44%.

Those aren’t great numbers for someone expected to be a marksman.

Spurs have several routes they can pursue for a trade

Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson are also rumored to be on the trading block. Johnson must be used to hearing his name in the rumor mill, as it’s happened to him several seasons in a row now.

Barnes is a useful player whom the Spurs should retain, but those kinds of players have value to every team, and it makes sense that other teams would want him.

The team recently completed a major trade, acquiring Washington big Kelly Olynyk in exchange for Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham, which may quiet them the rest of the offseason.

It’s likely, however, if the team really does see itself as a playoff mainstay over the next several seasons (as it should), that they’ll make another move or two to cement that status as best they can before the games sort themselves out.

Dangling a player like Devin Vassell is sure to chum the waters for teams looking for a young, cost-effective shooter. The perk to San Antonio is that teams must pay up if they want a player like that, and the return for the team should be substantial.

If the team plays its cards right, they can make a big splash to set themselves right for the playoffs for years to come. Doing this could lead to a domino effect where we see what we all wantanother Riverwalk parade. It won’t be this season, but shrewd moves with available assets can pay off.