Last Updated on July 27, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Devean George earned his NBA career as an American small forward by embracing defensive assignments, making timely cuts, and spacing the floor with dependable catch-and-shoot range whenever opportunities appeared. His contribution was often found in the possessions that held a lineup together—rotating early to cover mistakes, sprinting the wings in transition, and staying ready to knock down an open three without ever demanding the ball.

Here are the details for Devean George:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Devean Jamar George
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born August 29, 1977
  • Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters)
  • Weight: 235 pounds (107 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 9 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 16 (US)
  • Number: Wore 3, 40, and 19 during his NBA career
  • Position: Small Forward
  • High School: Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
  • College: Augsburg University (Division III) (1995–1999)
  • NBA Draft: 1999 NBA Draft, 23rd overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers
  • Teams Played For:
    • Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2006)
    • Dallas Mavericks (2006–2009)
    • Golden State Warriors (2009–2010)
  • Championship Rings: 3 (2000, 2001, and 2002 with the Los Angeles Lakers)
  • Kids: Not widely documented
  • Siblings: Not widely documented

Player Archetype / Play Style

Devean George’s player archetype was that of a defense-first complementary wing, the kind of sturdy role player who fit around stars by guarding multiple perimeter assignments, rebounding his position, and taking the simple offensive reads that kept possessions moving. At 6-foot-8 and around 235 pounds, he had the size and strength to handle physical matchups on the wing, while his offensive role was mostly built on spot-up shooting, straight-line drives, cuts, and opportunistic finishing rather than shot creation. Defensively, he brought effort, length, and a willingness to do the less glamorous work, which made him useful as a reserve forward on high-level teams. His overall play style was unselfish and functional: defend, run the floor, space the court just enough, and give a lineup toughness without needing the ball for long stretches. (NBA)

Scouting Report

Devean George understood his job, and the interesting thing is he rarely drifted outside it. He wasn’t the kind of wing who needed touches to stay involved because his impact came from reading the stars around him and filling whatever space they left behind. Offensively, he kept the floor balanced with timely relocations, sprinted into the corners in transition and cut hard from the weak side whenever defenders turned their heads. He could attack a reckless closeout with one or two strong dribbles, but he generally made quick decisions rather than trying to create a scoring opportunity that wasn’t there. His outside shot carried enough credibility to keep help defenders honest, particularly when the ball found him after a drive-and-kick sequence, and his size allowed him to finish through contact when he had a clear runway. Defensively, that’s where his value became more noticeable. George had the length to bother jump shooters, moved well enough laterally to stay attached through off-ball screens and wasn’t afraid to switch onto bigger forwards for stretches because he competed with leverage instead of relying on pure strength. He rotated early from the low-man position, contested without chasing blocks and usually understood when to stunt toward the ball before recovering back to his own assignment. The trade-off was that he offered very little self-created offence. If possessions bogged down and he was asked to manufacture a clean look against a set defender, his limitations became obvious, and tighter ball pressure could disrupt his handle before he got into his move. What stands out is how naturally he fit alongside dominant creators. Give him a high-level pick-and-roll guard or a post scorer who draws extra attention, and George’s cutting, spacing and defensive flexibility become much more valuable than his box-score numbers suggest. To me, his game shared similarities with James Posey’s complementary style and Matt Barnes’ willingness to do the connective work, although George leaned a little more toward disciplined positioning than physical edge, making him the sort of role player coaches trust because possessions rarely became more complicated when the ball found him.

Fun Facts

  • Devean George was notable as the first NCAA Division III player ever drafted in the first round of the NBA.
  • He contributed as a role player to the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship teams in the early 2000s.
  • After his NBA career, he became involved in real estate development and community projects focused on affordable housing.

NBA.com — Devean George | Forward | Los Angeles Lakers
Augsburg University Athletics — Augsburg alum Devean George ’99 signs two-year contract with Dallas Mavericks
Sports Forecaster — Devean George Stats, Profile, Bio, Analysis and More