Spurs must ensure Devin Vassell survives Dylan Harper’s inevitable leap

It's only a matter of time before Dylan Harper makes the move to the starting lineup. It's an all but foregone conclusion that San Antonio Spurs fans are excited to finally see materialize. Once it does, however, someone will be moved to the second unit.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is likely to experiment with different lineups before landing on the definitive starting five, but it's essential that Devin Vassell isn't lost in the shuffle.

Vassell has been the epitome of adaptability during his Spurs career. He entered the NBA as a highly-touted scoring prospect, reached 19.5 points per game on .472/.372/.801 shooting during his fourth season, and then slowly began to sacrifice touches for the betterment of the team.

Vassell has now emerged as one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA, combining 38.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc with rankings in the 83rd percentile or better in ball screen navigation, off-ball chaser defense, and perimeter isolation defense, per Basketball Index.

That should keep Vassell not only in a featured role in the rotation, but as a member of the starting lineup. He makes the game simpler for everyone around him, competes with unquestioned intensity, and seems to live for the big moments.

More importantly: Each of the Spurs' top three cornerstones—Harper included—were significantly better with Vassell on the court than without him in 2025-26.

As Dylan Harper evolves, Devin Vassell should remain in the starting 5

Harper and Vassell surprisingly played limited minutes together in 2025-26. According to databallr, they spent just 638 minutes on the court together. That's at least created some room to question whether or not they're expected to coexist.

In the limited minutes they played together, however, Vassell brought the best out of Harper, helping him increase his production by 2.3 points and 1.0 assist per 75 possessions, and his three-point shooting percentage by an insane 21.4 percent.

That's a rather steady theme for Vassell. In fact, most of the Spurs' best players were better when he was on the court this past season. Victor Wembanyama, for instance, saw upticks in points, assists, and rebounds per 75 possessions, as well as true shooting percentage (+4.5) and three-point field goal percentage (+4.4).

Stephon Castle experienced jumps in the same areas, including massive upticks in true shooting percentage (+12.7) and three-point field goal percentage (+5.0).

With a clearly positive impact on the Spurs' three most important young players, Vassell should be safe as a starter. Not only is he helping others, but he defends every position from 1 to 4, ranked in the 92nd percentile in off-ball shot making efficiency, and is willing and able to hit the midrange shots that can swing postseason games and series.

All eyes are on Castle, De'Aaron Fox, Harper, and Wembanyama, but Vassell shouldn't lose his spot as a pivotal piece of the puzzle once the All-Rookie honoree makes the jump to the starting lineup.

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