Johnson, Vassell Make the Cut in Top Player Tiers

The San Antonio Spurs firmly belong to Victor Wembanyama. He is the franchise player that the Spurs will be looking to surround with talent this summer through the draft, trades, and free agency in the hopes of building a long-standing winner.

The Spurs already have some key role-players in place. Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell look like long-term pieces, and Keldon Johnson is a solid player provided the Spurs don't trade him.

Jan 2, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) reacts with center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum. © Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Athletic recently released its first annual player tier rankings of the best 125 players in the league. The rankings are not based on individual stats, contracts, or trade value. Instead, "Tiers are determined with reference toward increasing a team’s title chances in 2024-25."

So far, only Tier 5 has been revealed, and both Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell were included, surrounded by high-level role players like Jaden McDaniels, Walker Kessler, and Terry Rozier.

Johnson established himself last season as a volume scoring threat off the bench who can lead a second unit, and Vassell was the clear second option on the Spurs' offense behind Wembanyama, although his ideal role is as the third option behind Wemby and a high-level point guard.

Interestingly enough, Sochan was not included in the Tier 5 rankings. Perhaps he did not show enough offensive efficiency to make the cut, although it seems more realistic that his defensive prowess has him ranked a bit higher, even if he is younger than Johnson and Vassell.

The highlight of the rankings will be when Victor Wembanyama is listed. With only one season under his belt, he is already one of the best players in the NBA.