Devin Vassell's Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated Spurs Roster
The San Antonio Spurs added one of men's college basketball's most improved players to their lineup Wednesday when they selected Florida State swingman Devin Vassell with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft.
Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report
Player: Devin Vassell
Position: SF
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 180
Pro Comparison: Mikal Bridges
Scouting Report: Shooting and defense have helped Devin Vassell earn the label as the draft's premier three-and-D wing. And at 6'6" with plenty of athletic ability and a high release on his jumper, it's easy to envision his strengths carrying over to the NBA. There could even be more offensive upside to unlock after Vassell made encouraging improvements to his pull-up and speciality shot-making skills.
Here is a look at how Vassell will fit into his new team's roster following the selection:
DeMar DeRozan, SG: $27.8M (2021)
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF: $25M (2021)
Rudy Gay, SF: $16M (2021)
Dejounte Murray, PG: $16M (2024)
Patty Mills, PG: $12M (2021)
Trey Lyles, PF: $5.5M (2021)
Luka Samanic, PF: $2.8M (2023)
Lonnie Walker IV, SG: $2.7M (2022)
Derrick White, PG: $2.1M (2021)
Keldon Johnson, SF: $2M (2023)
Chimezie Metu, PF: $1.3M (2021)
Devin Vassell, SF: Rookie scale contract (2024)
Bryn Forbes, SG: UFA
Drew Eubanks, C: RFA
Jakob Poeltl, C: RFA
Tyler Zeller, C: UFA
Marco Belinelli, SG: UFA
Quinndary Weatherspoon, SG: RFA
The sharpshooter arrived at Florida State as a relatively unheralded 3-star prospect in the class of 2018, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He was a secondary contributor as a freshman and averaged 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.5 steals per game while shooting a solid 41.9 percent from deep.
While his shooting was notable, he didn't look like someone who would play his way into lottery discussions within one more season at Florida State.
That all changed with Vassell's massive leap as a sophomore.
The 20-year-old made the All-ACC second team in 2019-20 behind 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He also maintained the impressive shooting from deep at 41.5 percent even though he attracted additional defensive attention and shot a higher volume with 3.5 three-point attempts per game compared to 1.9 as a freshman.
Vassell and the Seminoles were 26-5 and well-positioned for a deep NCAA men's tournament run until it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia said the Florida State product "checks every box you're looking for in a three-and-D prospect," while Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked him No. 7 on his final big board.
Wasserman highlighted his outside shooting and prowess as a defender with notable length before writing that an "improved pull-up game and enough glimpses of speciality shot-making suggest Vassell can develop into more than just a spot-up threat."
If Vassell can play defense and connect on outside shots like he did in his final collegiate season, he should quickly play his way into the Spurs' rotation during his rookie campaign.
