The San Antonio Spurs signed Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono to a contract after he went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft.
The San Antonio Spurs consistently seem to acquire top talent under the radar and have done so once again.
Former Villanova Wildcat and 2016 National Champion Ryan Arcidiacono signed a two-year deal with the Spurs on Friday.
Arcidiacono was a four-year starter at Villanova and comes to the Spurs with enough experience to gel with the veteran squad in San Antonio.
Players dream of getting drafted by an NBA team, but going undrafted also has its benefits. Arcidiacono gets a partially guaranteed deal and had the freedom to choose what team he joined, ultimately ending up with one of the most respected franchises in professional sports.
He comes to San Antonio behind both Tony Parker and Patty Mills on the depth chart, but being able to learn behind both is a bonus in itself. Mills is a free agent after next season, while Parker is a free agent in the summer of 2018.
But Parker is not the dominant point guard he once was, so the 2017-18 season could see Arcidiacono as the starter if Mills leaves town.
This is a lot of speculation at this point, but the former Villanova guard would not have been signed by the Spurs if Gregg Popovich did not think he could contribute to the team’s success.
The Spurs are in a period of transition as the team begins to move away from the “Big 3” of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, meaning young talent will be brought in as the future of the team. Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge are the main pieces right now, but Arcidiacono joins the team as the potential point guard of the future.
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