FSU in the NBA | Week of Aug. 9–15
Florida State has long been a reliable pipeline to the NBA, but this summer it's Devin Vassell who's making the loudest noise — and the Seminole faithful have every reason to pay attention.
Vassell Arrives — For Real This Time
The knock on Vassell entering his sixth professional season was always the same: flashes of brilliance, not enough sustained dominance. That narrative is done. According to a Yahoo Sports season review of the 2025-26 San Antonio Spurs roster, Vassell delivered exactly the kind of campaign the franchise had been banking on when they drafted the former Seminole 11th overall in 2020.
The review's framing says it plainly: "This is the Devin Vassell we've all been waiting for, and the one the Spurs needed." That's not faint praise for a team managing a delicate rebuild around Victor Wembanyama — that's a genuine coronation.
What makes Vassell's ascent meaningful beyond the box score is the context. San Antonio has been deliberately patient with his development, cycling through coaching changes and roster overhauls while keeping Vassell's long-term upside central to their planning. A breakout 2025-26 season doesn't just validate that patience — it changes the franchise's ceiling. A Wembanyama-Vassell partnership, if Vassell can sustain this level, gives the Spurs a credible two-pronged offensive threat that western conference rivals will have to scheme around.
For FSU fans, the timing is sweet. Vassell was a one-and-done Seminole who left Tallahassee after a standout freshman year in 2019-20, a season in which he showcased the defensive IQ and three-point shooting that made him a lottery lock. The criticism that he never quite translated that promise to the next level has been a quiet frustration for the FSU alumni base. That frustration now appears to be behind him.
The Rest of the Nole Roster
Vassell isn't the only FSU alum active in the league. Scottie Barnes continues his tenure with the Toronto Raptors as a cornerstone piece of their own rebuild, while Patrick Williams remains in Chicago with the Bulls. Jonathan Isaac is still suiting up for the Orlando Magic, Terance Mann is with the Brooklyn Nets, and Malik Beasley has landed with the Detroit Pistons.
Notably, Vassell's San Antonio teammate RaiQuan Gray — also an FSU alum — is on the same Spurs squad, giving Tallahassee a quiet two-man presence on one of the league's most intriguing young rosters. The brief also notes active FSU alumni Trent Forrest (Hawks) and Jamir Watkins (Wizards) rounding out the Seminoles' NBA footprint.
The Bottom Line
FSU's NBA footprint is wide, but Vassell is the story of the moment. At 25, entering what should be the prime years of his career, he's no longer a prospect or a project. If the 2025-26 season is the proof of concept, the years ahead will be the real test — and the Spurs, and Seminole fans everywhere, are here for it.
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