Vassell (foot) is expected to make his season debut Saturday against the Jazz, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. He's officially listed as probable.
Vassell was cleared for full basketball activities Thursday, and the Spurs are likely to officially sign off on him making his debut following their morning shootaround Saturday. The 24-year-old wing missed the first few weeks of the season while on the mend from offseason foot surgery, so he'll likely be operating under a minutes restriction in his debut Saturday and could even come off the bench. Vassell is coming off a career-best 2023-24 season in which he averaged 19.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 three-pointers in 33.1 minutes over his 68 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Continues to make progress
Rotowire
Vassell (foot) was cleared for all basketball activities Thursday and remains on track to debut during the team's current homestand, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.
Vassell's 2024-25 debut could arrive as early as Saturday against Portland, but his availability will likely be determined by how he fares in workouts over the next day and a half. The Spurs have yet to comment on whether he'll face a minutes restriction upon his return, but that should come into focus once he gets the green light.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Could debut Saturday
Rotowire
The Spurs have optimism that Vassell (foot) will be able to make his season debut during Saturday's game versus the Jazz, Shams Charania of ESPN reports
Vassell has already been ruled out Thursday and has missed the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign while recovering from offseason foot surgery. While it wouldn't be surprising for the 24-year-old wing to operate under a minutes restriction early on, he should eventually reclaim a spot in the starting five.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Remains sidelined Thursday
Rotowire
Vassell (foot) is out for Thursday's game versus the Trail Blazers.
Vassell has yet to suit up this season while recovering from left foot surgery. While Vassell is reportedly ramping up his activity, his next chance to return to action will be Saturday's matchup with Utah.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Likely out at least one more game
Rotowire
Vassell (foot) isn't expected to return during the team's current road trip, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.
Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson noted that Vassell is ramping up his activity, but he doesn't expect the 24-year-old to be able to go for the final game of the road trip Wednesday in Houston. The team could have more information on a timetable for his return within the next few days. Expect Stephon Castle and Malaki Branham to continue to see opportunities until Vassell is cleared.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Ruled out for Monday
Rotowire
Vassell (foot) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup versus the Clippers.
Vassell has yet to make his season debut while recovering from right foot surgery. Until the 24-year-old is ready for game action, Julian Champagnie, Stephon Castle and Malaki Branham are candidates for increased playing time.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Remains sidelined Saturday
Rotowire
Vassell (foot) won't play in Saturday's game versus the Timberwolves, Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio reports.
Vassell has yet to suit up this season while dealing recovering from right foot surgery. However, the 24-year-old guard was sent to the G League to progress in his rehab earlier this week, which indicates he is nearing a return to action. Until Vassell is able to play, Julian Champagnie, Stephon Castle and Malaki Branham should continue receiving increased playing time.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Rehab continues with G League trip
Rotowire
San Antonio assigned Vassell (foot) to the G League's Austin Spurs earlier Monday and recalled him.
Vassell presumably went through a training camp practice with Austin, as the veteran wing has progressed to light contact work during recent workouts. Head coach Gregg Popovich also said he's expecting Vassell to be ready for game action during the first week of November, which remains in line with his Nov. 1 re-evaluation timeline. Regardless, Vassell needed a second surgery this summer after his right foot didn't heal properly from the first one, so the Spurs will likely remain cautious even when he's cleared to suit up. Across 68 appearances last season, Vassell averaged 19.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 three-pointers and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: To miss start of season
Rotowire
Vassell is not expected to return to game action until early November due to a stress reaction in his right foot which ended his 2023-24 campaign early, Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio reports.
Vassell is more than likely to miss the start of the 2024-25 season due to a lingering foot injury. The 24-year-old was shut down and underwent surgery at the beginning of April after averaging a career-high 19.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals across 33.1 minutes per game in 68 regular-season outings. In Vassell's absence, Stephon Castle and Malaki Branham are both candidates to pick up extra playing time.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Dealing with left foot soreness
Rotowire
Vassell is questionable for Sunday's game against the Warriors due to left foot soreness, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.
Vassell is a late addition to the injury report, which is never a good sign. Keldon Johnson (foot) and Jeremy Sochan (ankle) are already out, so if Vassell joins his fellow starters on the sideline, Victor Wembanyama would have to shoulder a heavy load. Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley would also likely see upticks in playing time.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Tallies 23 points in OT win
Rotowire
Vassell supplied 23 points (10-22 FG, 3-10 3Pt), two rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 45 minutes during Friday's 130-126 overtime victory over New York.
Vassell took a back seat to Victor Wembanyama, who put up a career-high 40 points, but the shooting guard nonetheless finished with his third straight game of 20-plus points. He also tied for the team lead in assists and paced San Antonio with 45 minutes of court time. Vassell has been a key contributor for the Spurs throughout the campaign, ranking second on the team in both points (19.4) and assists (4.0) per game, with both marks on pace for a career high.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Leads team to victory
Rotowire
Vassell provided 31 points (12-20 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, six assists and one steal over 39 minutes during Wednesday's 118-111 victory over Utah.
Vassell's efficient shooting helped him record a team-high 31 points during Wednesday's win over the Jazz. The 23-year-old guard is averaging 20.0 minutes, 4.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 36.6 minutes across his last 10 outings. Vassell has also posted 49.1/38.6/88.0 shooting splits over that span.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Huge bounce-back effort
Rotowire
Vassell had 26 points (11-24 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 35 minutes during Monday's 104-102 victory over the Suns.
Vassell followed up a two-point dud (1-8 FG) Saturday with his 17th game of 25-plus points this season -- three of which have come in his last five contests. Victor Wembanyama (ankle) was inactive Monday, but Vassell is only averaging 17.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds across eight games Wembanyama has been unavailable, so there isn't any correlation to heightened production when Vassell is the unquestioned alpha on offense.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Struggles badly from field Saturday
Rotowire
Vassell provided two points (1-8 FG, 0-2 3Pt), three rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes during Saturday's 131-106 loss to the Suns.
Vassell had one of the worst performances of his career Saturday, missing all but one of his eight attempts from the field en route to delivering a season-low two points. Vassell remains one of San Antonio's most reliable offensive threats, however, and one game is not going to change his status in the team's scheme. Vassell will aim to bounce back when the Spurs take on the Suns on Monday in a back-to-back set.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Nears 30 points to boost offense
Rotowire
Vassell contributed 27 points (10-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, four assists and one steal across 38 minutes during Friday's 99-97 loss to the Grizzlies.
Vassell connected on a pair of threes to go along with a quartet of rebounds and assists and ended as one of two players with 25 or more points for San Antonio in a near 30-point performance. Vassell has recorded 25 or more points in 16 games this season, doing so in two of his last three contests.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Hits 25-point mark Sunday
Rotowire
Vassell finished Sunday's 122-115 overtime victory over Brooklyn with 25 points (11-21 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds and eight assists over 44 minutes.
Even though Victor Wembanyama grabbed all the headlines with his historical performance Sunday, Vassell certainly made his presence felt as well with his first 20-point effort since March 7. Vassell has been a bit hit-or-miss of late, but more often than not, he continues to deliver solid numbers on offense for the Spurs. He's averaging 19.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game since the beginning of March.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Drains five threes Monday
Rotowire
Vassell (hip) had 17 points (5-14 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, one assist and one steal over 36 minutes during Monday's 112-102 loss to the Warriors.
Vassell returned from a one-game absence Monday and looked as good as he's looked in recent weeks. Even though he struggled from the field a bit, particularly with his two-point shooting, it's worth noting Vassell has now gone seven consecutive games with 17 points or more. His role as the Spurs' second-best offensive weapon behind Victor Wembanyama is pretty much set in stone until the end of the season, as evidenced by the fact that Vassell is averaging 22.7 points per game since the end of the All-Star break.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Game-time call Monday
Rotowire
Vassell (hip) remains probable for Monday's game against Golden State, but he'll be evaluated after pregame warmups before an official determination is made on his status, independent NBA writer Matthew Tynan reports.
Vassell will get loose prior to conferring with head coach Gregg Popovich on his health. He remains on track to suit up Monday while dealing with a bruised left hip, but clarity won't arrive until shortly before the 8 p.m. ET tipoff. Monday marks the front end of a back-to-back set for the Spurs, so even if Vassell plays against Golden State, he could be a candidate to sit out Tuesday versus the Rockets.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Likely to play Monday
Rotowire
Vassell (hip) is probable for Monday's game against the Warriors, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Vassell was a late addition to the injury report Saturday and ultimately missed a win over the Warriors due to a right hip contusion. He's expected to be back in action Monday, and so is Victor Wembanyama, who was omitted from the Spurs' initial injury report after missing back-to-back games due to a right ankle sprain. Before his absence, Vassell was on a roll, posting 23.4 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals in 36.8 minutes over eight appearances since the All-Star break.
... See More... See Less
Spurs' Devin Vassell: Ruled out for Saturday
Rotowire
Vassell (hip) will not play Saturday against the Warriors, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
Vassell was a late addition to the injury report, but it's not clear when he suffered the injury. With Vassell sidelined, the Spurs are going to need several players to step up on offense. Blake Wesley, Tre Jones and Malaki Branham have the potential to become the primary beneficiaries in Vassell's absence.