Ray McCallum Acquisition Will Pay Off in the Near Future for Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs did what every one of their fans dreamed of. They landed 4-time NBA All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and a former 2-time NBA All-Star in David West. The acquisitions of Aldridge and West respectively grabbed the headlines around the NBA world.
When the Spurs acquired Ray McCallum from the Sacramento Kings for a future second-round draft pick, there wasn’t much noise. Many people barely even know who the 24-year old guard is.
Apr 12, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward
Wilson Chandler(21) guards Sacramento Kings guard Ray McCallum (3) in the first quarter at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
McCallum, who played three seasons of college ball at Detroit and averaged 18.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists as a junior, spent the first two seasons of his career with the Kings. Sacramento took McCallum with the 36th pick in the 2013 draft.
It didn’t even seem fair that the Spurs acquired McCallum for a late second-round draft pick. He has loads of potential. McCallum tallied 7.4 points and 2.8 assists last year. As a starter, he recorded 11.2 points and 4.3 assists.
McCallum’s game is similar to Cory Joseph‘s. Joseph left the Spurs, as he signed a 4-year, $30 million contract with Toronto. At 6’3″, 190 pounds, McCallum also has a similar body to Joseph. The Spurs got a player that can slash and defend multiple guard spots at a cheap cost. Instead of paying more than $7 million a year for a backup guard, they added a suitable replacement in McCallum.
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The addition of McCallum will help Tony Parker and Patty Mills. When Parker comes out of the game, the Spurs can go up-tempo with the athletic McCallum. Mills, who is an excellent shooter can play off the ball as McCallum can set him up.
As of now it’s unclear what McCallum’s role with the Spurs is. What is clear is that he will be an important player for them within the next few years, when Parker is gone.