San Antonio Spurs X-Factor For The 2025-26 Season - Devin Vassell

From 1998 through 2019, the San Antonio Spurs did not miss the playoffs. Since that time, they have not made a postseason appearance. If everything plays out the way it should this season, the Spurs should once again find themselves playing more than 82 games. One of the perks of missing out on the playoffs, especially in recent years, has been the ability for the Spurs to rebuild their roster through the draft, stockpiling some of the best young talent in the league. 

One of the valuable young pieces that the Spurs drafted is Devin Vassell, the 11th pick of the 2020 Draft class. Although Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle have commanded the spotlight over the last couple of years, Vassell may be the X-factor for the Spurs' playoff hopes. 

Entering his sixth season, the 25-year-old combo guard/forward has quietly become one of the better young players in the league. Despite his youth, Vassell is looked to as one of the veteran pieces of the Spurs' core. 

While he isn’t great at one specific thing, what makes Vassell valuable to the Spurs is his versatility and ability to scale his game based on what the team needs. One night, he can be a primary source of scoring, and the next, he can slide into a complementary role when the big guns are firing. Capable of averaging near 20 points a night, as evident by his numbers from 2022-2024, Vassell’s stats did take a hit last season, dropping from 19.5 to 16.3 ppg with the additions of Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and the growth of Wembanyama. 

If Vassell and the rest of the Spurs can remain healthy (Vassell played only 64 games last year and 68 the year prior), San Antonio has all the pieces necessary to end their playoff drought. Although Wembanyama and Fox are the focal points of the team, their success will be determined by role players such as Vassell, who provides the consistent two-way play and adaptability that, at one point, made the Spurs one of the most successful franchises in NBA history.