Devin Vassell Demands the Signing of Former San Antonio Spurs Guard
The San Antonio Spurs are known for finding diamonds in the rough, and after Lonnie Walker IV, the 18th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, showed improvement in each of his first three seasons, it looked like the Spurs had done it again. However, during the 2021-22 season, he was turnover-prone and his shooting efficiency, which was never great, took a massive drop. The Spurs didn’t re-sign him, and he ended up signing with the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year “prove it” deal before playing for the Brooklyn Nets last season.
Deep into the offseason, he is still unsigned and remains a free agent. Over the last three seasons, split between San Antonio, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn, Walker has averaged 11.2 points, two rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 184 games, mostly off the bench. He has shot 35.1 percent from deep but still makes questionable choices with the ball, evident by his 0.9 turnovers per game in limited minutes.
He is, however, one of the best athletes in the game. His ability to slash and get to, and above, the rim is matched by only a handful of NBA players. He is the definition of a sparkplug off the bench but has been largely unable to find long-term NBA success.
As the Spurs carry a full roster into the season, they don’t have enough space to add the former fan-favorite, although his teammates from his days in Texas are offering their support. Vassell and Walker were teammates from 2020-22 on the Spurs and were expected to be key pieces of San Antonio’s young core in the post-Kawhi Leonard years. Vassell has managed to carve out a role as an excellent shooter and defender and will certainly play for the Spurs for the next several seasons, although Walker has not found the same success.
