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Mac McClung Wins G League MVP Award

April 5th, 2024 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Mac McClung hasn’t been on an NBA roster since October, but the 25-year-old won a second straight Slam Dunk contest in February and has now earned another notable honor: McClung is this season’s NBA G League Most Valuable Player, the league announced today (Twitter link).

McClung spent the 2023/24 season playing for the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s NBAGL affiliate. In 27 regular season games, he averaged a league-high 25.7 points to go along with 6.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .509/.396/.843. Osceola finished as the No. 1 seed in the East at 22-12 and will face the Long Island Nets on Friday in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

McClung also appeared in 14 Showcase Cup games for the Magic’s G League team earlier this season, averaging 25.2 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 4.3 RPG on .464/.357/.851 shooting.

McClung has only appeared in four career NBA games since going undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2021. However, he has made a name himself as a Slam Dunk champion and has had stints with some of the league’s marquee franchises, including the Lakers, Sixers, and Bulls.

McClung’s G League MVP award is also the latest addition to an increasingly decorated NBAGL résumé — he was the G League’s Rookie of the Year in 2022 and won a title with the Delaware Blue Coats in 2023.

Sioux Falls Skyforce guard Alondes Williams, who is on a two-way contract with the Heat, was the runner-up in the NBAGL MVP vote, which was conducted by the league’s 31 head coaches and GMs.

The third-place finisher was forward Kenneth Lofton Jr., who played for the Grizzlies and Sixers earlier this season and is now a member of the Jazz. He suited up for the Memphis Hustle in the Showcase Cup and the Blue Coats and Salt Lake City Stars during the G League’s regular season.

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Community Shootaround: All-Star Weekend

February 17th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two standouts from this year’s All-Star Weekend don’t even play in the NBA.

G League guard Mac McClung defended his Slam Dunk Contest title by beating Jaylen Brown in the final round, while WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu went shot-for-shot with Stephen Curry in a three-point competition before falling on Curry’s final attempt.

McClung needed an inspired finish on his final dunk to capture the title, and he delivered a reverse jam while jumping over 7’1″ Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. The feat earned McClung a 50 from all five judges as he became the first repeat winner since Zach LaVine eight years ago.

McClung didn’t commit to going for a three-peat next year in San Francisco, but he told an interviewer after the contest, “I would never say never. … It’s an honor to be here.”

Ionescu thrilled the Indianapolis crowd with her shooting display, sinking her first seven shots and hitting 8-of-9 money balls while using a WNBA ball and taking shots from the NBA three-point line. She missed five of her last 10, though, which allowed Curry to prevail in the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA Three-Point Challenge by making his last four.

“So much credit to them,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “I wish I could say that the league in its lab came up with this idea. This was about Steph and Sabrina, two friends who said, ‘Won’t this be fantastic?’ I know that Steph cares a lot about the women’s game, the opportunity to bring more attention to this fantastic shooting.”

Damian Lillard brought similar drama to the Three-Point Contest, which came down to his final shot before he became a back-to-back winner. Needing to make one shot for the victory, Lillard missed four in a row before sinking his last attempt.

We want to get your opinion on All-Star Weekend. Is the dunk contest still the highlight? Should the NBA vs. WNBA competition be brought back? Did the LED floor enhance the experience or distract from it? Please leave your responses in the space below.

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And-Ones: Lamb, Trade Candidates, Buyout Market, Pre-Agency, Dunk Contest

February 6th, 2024 at 9:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Warriors forward Anthony Lamb suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon while playing for the New Zealand Breakers, Olgun Uluc of ESPN tweets.

The non-contact leg injury occurred at the end of the first quarter of his team’s game against the Perth Wildcats on Sunday afternoon. An MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis.

Lamb appeared in 62 regular season games with Golden State last season, averaging 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.3 minutes per game.

We have more from the around the basketball world:

  • Which players are most likely to be on the move at the trade deadline? The Athletic’s John Hollinger reveals his list of players who could be swapping uniforms, breaking it down by expiring contracts, salary-matching contracts and luxury tax-shedding moves.
  • Following the trade deadline, attention will be turned to buyout candidates. Keith Smith previews that market in a Spotrac post, evaluating the possibility of Kyle Lowry, Joe Harris, Gordon Hayward, Davis Bertans and numerous others going that route.
  • What is “pre-agency?” A growing trend in the league, where players who could enter the free agent market get traded to a team interested in retaining them beyond the end of the season. The Athletic’s Danny Leroux notes that OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam fit that category, as the Knicks and Pacers, respectively, have positioned themselves to keep those starters after trades with Toronto.
  • It was reported on Monday that Jaylen Brown was seriously considering a spot in the All-Star dunk contest. Now it’s confirmed. The Celtics star will join Heat forward Jaime Jaquez, G League guard Mac McClung and Knicks forward Jacob Toppin in the annual event, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. McClung is the defending champion.
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NBA Announces Player Pool For 2024 Rising Stars Event

January 30th, 2024 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially revealed the 11 rookies, 10 sophomores, and seven G League players who will take part in the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in Indianapolis next month.

The following players, as voted on by NBA coaching staffs, made the cut:

Rookies

Sophomores

G League Players

As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by former NBA forward Detlef Schrempf. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA and WNBA stars Pau Gasol, Jalen Rose, and Tamika Catchings.

The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.

All three contests will take place on Friday, February 16 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night.

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And-Ones: Nwaba, G. Robinson, Gillespie, Call-Ups

January 3rd, 2024 at 8:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA wing David Nwaba is signing with the London Lions of the British Basketball League, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link).

After going undrafted out of Cal Poly in 2016, Nwaba caught on with his hometown Lakers. He also suited up for the Bulls, Cavaliers, Nets and Rockets from 2016-22, last playing for Houston in 2021/22.

The six-year veteran appeared in 237 regular season games during his NBA career, averaging 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game. Known for his strong frame, athleticism and defense, Nwaba has spent most of the past two seasons playing for Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

The 30-year-old will be heading to Europe for the first time in his career.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports recently spoke to Glenn Robinson III about his NBA comeback attempt after stepping away from basketball for two years. The former second-round pick has been playing with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee’s affiliate) this season, averaging 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 39.1% from three in 12 Showcase Cup games (23.6 minutes). Robinson holds seven years of NBA experience and has been mentoring his young teammates, according to Fischer.
  • Nuggets guard Collin Gillespie, who is on a two-way deal, was named the NBA G League’s Player of the Month for December, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). According to Wind, Gillespie averaged 21.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists in six games last month for the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver’s affiliate). The former Villanova Wildcat missed all of last season with a lower left leg fracture.
  • Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a look at some NBAGL players who could be candidates for call-ups to the NBA, with Mac McClung, Jason Preston, Ethan Thompson, Darius Bazley and Trey Jemison among the players mentioned.
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Stein’s Latest: Olynyk, LaVine, Tucker, Murray, McClung

December 25th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics view Jazz big man Kelly Olynyk as a possible trade target, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

With a $12.2MM expiring contract, Olynyk is one of several Utah veterans who might be on the move prior to the trade deadline. Boston drafted him in 2013 and he spent his first four NBA seasons with the Celtics, so he’s familiar with the organization.

After being a starter last year, Olynyk has moved into a reserve role in his second season with the Jazz, although he has started seven games because of injures to teammates. He posted 27 points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals in Thursday’s win at Detroit.

Boston’s current salary structure makes an Olynyk trade challenging, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Without giving up one of their rotation players, the Celtics would have to have to send out several minimum contracts to match Olynyk’s salary.

Stein also expects the Knicks to have interest in Olynyk after starting center Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery that could sideline him for the rest of the season.

Stein passes along more inside information on potential trades:

  • Citing conversations at the G League Winter Showcase, Stein remains skeptical that the Sixers have interest in trading for Bulls guard Zach LaVine. League sources tell Stein that Philadelphia wants to find someone who can contribute on both ends of the court, and the team is reluctant to give up its cap space for next summer to acquire LaVine, who still has three seasons left on his five-year, $215MM deal. The Lakers may be more inclined to consider LaVine after going 2-5 in their last seven games, but Stein notes that L.A. also prizes salary flexibility and tends to seek out players with shorter contracts to team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
  • The Bucks and Heat still have “a healthy level of admiration” for P.J. Tucker, league sources tell Stein, but his $11MM salary for this season and a guaranteed $11.5MM for 2024/25 will limit trade interest. Tucker, who was acquired from Philadelphia as part of the James Harden deal, hasn’t played for the Clippers in nearly a month.
  • Rival teams expect the Hawks to consider a Dejounte Murray trade before the deadline, Stein adds. Atlanta’s front office may explore deals involving several players as it tries to assemble a better mix of talent around Trae Young. Stein states that the Hawks would be hoping to replenish their draft assets after sending three future first-round picks and a pick swap to San Antonio in the trade to acquire Murray.
  • In an interview with Mac McClung, the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest champ says he’s still deciding whether he’ll return to the event to try to defend his title.
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And-Ones: McClung, Comanche, Maluach, Draft, Team USA

December 19th, 2023 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s not currently under contract with an NBA team, Mac McClung has been invited by the NBA to take part in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest and defend his title, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

McClung remains undecided, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though he says many people believe the G League guard will accept the invitation.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • C.C. McCandless of FOX5 in Las Vegas has obtained the arrest report for former Stockton Kings player Chance Comanche and shares several disturbing new details about the alleged plot to kidnap and kill Marayna Rodgers, who police believe was killed on the night of December 5, when the Kings‘ G League team was in town to face the G League Ignite. Comanche – one of two suspects facing an open murder charge – disclosed several details in an interview with investigators, including identifying on a map where Rodgers body was buried, which allowed detectives to locate her remains.
  • Standout prospect Khaman Maluach, a 7’2″ center from South Sudan, has elected to graduate high school in 2024 and will be eligible for the 2025 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 17-year-old is still weighing his options for the 2024/25 season, including attending a U.S. college or taking a professional route like the G League Ignite or Australia’s Next Stars program.
  • In the latest 2024 mock draft from Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports, Alexandre Sarr is the first player off the board, while USC’s Isaiah Collier – the top prospect on ESPN’s top 100 – drops to No. 8.
  • USA Basketball has announced its coaching staff for the AmeriCup qualifying team that will begin competing in February. Dave Joerger, previously reported to be the head coach for the U.S. squad, will be joined by veteran assistants Jerome Allen and Melvin Hunt, per a press release.
  • Australia’s national team is in advanced talks to play exhibition games against the U.S. and Serbia ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Team USA already has a pair of exhibition contests against South Sudan and Germany on its July schedule.
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Southeast Notes: Hawks, Ball, Heat, McClung

December 5th, 2023 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

With Jalen Johnson unavailable due to a wrist injury, the Hawks have been experimenting a little more with different frontcourt combinations, including playing centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu alongside one another, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required).

The pairing is very much a work in progress, particularly on the offensive end, but it showed some intriguing potential against bigger teams like San Antonio and Milwaukee, according to Williams.

“There’s certain times in the game where that allows itself and there’s certain matchups where I think it pays dividends defensively,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “(Saturday vs. Milwaukee) was one of those nights).”

For his part, Okongwu is on board with the idea of handling power forward alongside Capela if it means he’ll get an opportunity to play a little more.

“Whatever it takes for me to be on the court longer, I’ll do it,” Okongwu said. “Playing the four, it’s obviously is an adjustment but nothing I can’t do.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • Hornets guard LaMelo Ball still has a noticeable limp and isn’t expected to return anytime soon, but he’s no longer wearing a walking boot, tweets Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. That’s a promising first step in Ball’s recovery from a severely sprained right ankle, which he’s scheduled to have reevaluated this week.
  • Buoyed by a seven-game winning streak in the first half of November, the Heat are 11-9 after 20 games, but many of their victories have come against subpar competition and they’ve lost four of their last five contests. Jimmy Butler kept coming back to one word when describing the team’s performance so far, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “We stand right where we don’t want to be, which is very mediocre, not good, not bad, not great, not any of those things,” Butler said. “Just mediocre. You talk about our offense has been mediocre. You talk about our defense has been mediocre. That’s the word I would use.”
  • Mac McClung, who has been playing for the Magic‘s G League affiliate this season, was named the NBAGL’s player of the month for November, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link). McClung averaged 25.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game in nine November contests for the Osceola Magic, but isn’t under contract with Orlando — the 2023 slam dunk champion remains an NBA free agent, available to sign with any team.
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Magic Waive Mac McClung, Two Others

October 21st, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have removed three players from their roster ahead of the regular season, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has waived guards Mac McClung and Brandon Williams, as well as swingman Daeqwon Plowden.

McClung, Williams, and Plowden were all on Exhibit 10 contracts. The hope is that all three players will join the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, according to Beede. Osceola has made trades this offseason to acquire the returning rights for each of them.

McClung has only appeared in four NBA games, but starred at All-Star Weekend last season, winning the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest, and had a big year in the G League. The 24-year-old appeared in 31 NBAGL regular season games for the Delaware Blue Coats – Philadelphia’s affiliate – and averaged 19.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in just 26.8 minutes per game. He posted an impressive .550/.474/.823 shooting line during the G League regular season and helped lead the Blue Coats to a title.

Williams has 24 games of NBA experience under his belt, but spent last season with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL team. Plowden spent his first professional season in 2022/23 playing for New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

The Magic also formally confirmed in a press release that they’ve converted Trevelin Queen to a two-way contract, as previously reported. Their roster is now set for the regular season, with 15 players on standard deals and three on two-way pacts.

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Evaluating NBA’s Open Two-Way Contract Slots

October 16th, 2023 at 5:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

As our two-way contract tracker shows, 81 of the 90 available two-way slots available around the NBA are currently occupied, with nine still open as of Friday afternoon.

With the start of the season rapidly approaching, teams will begin cutting down their rosters en masse around October 21, which ensures players clear waivers before the start of the season on October 24. One way teams will manage their rosters before the season is by converting certain Exhibit 10 players to two-way contracts.

[Related: Checking In On NBA’s Two-Way Contract Slots]

Let’s take a look at each open two-way spot on a team-by-team basis and consider who could potentially fill those spots.

Brooklyn Nets

Open two-way spots: 1

The Nets are an interesting case because they don’t currently have anyone signed to the roster that makes sense as a two-way option.

They are reportedly signing Patrick Gardner to an Exhibit 10 deal, though that has yet to happen. Harry Giles, while technically eligible for a two-way deal, is not an option because he is signed to only an Exhibit 9 contract, which are ineligible to be converted if they don’t also include Exhibit 10 language.

For now, it seems as though Brooklyn will either keep the slot open to begin the year, claim someone on waivers from another team, or sign an outside option.

Dallas Mavericks

Open two-way spots: 2

Dallas waived Mike Miles on Saturday, giving them two open two-way contract spots. Two logical options to fill those spots, as we wrote, are training camp invitees Greg Brown and Dexter Dennis. Brown is still just 22 with two NBA seasons under his belt and was a consensus five-star prospect out of high school. Dennis averaged 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds with Texas A&M in his final collegiate season.

The Mavericks also signed Taze Moore to a camp deal on Monday, who averaged 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals in his final collegiate season with Houston. All three appear to be in play for those final spots, though outside options are always possible.

Detroit Pistons

Open two-way spots: 1

The Pistons have one open standard spot, as well as their open two-way slot. It’s unclear what their plans are with those spots, but it’s possible they give both to players currently on their training camp roster. Stanley Umude, Tosan Evbuomwan, Buddy Boeheim, Zavier Simpson and Jontay Porter are signed to Exhibit 10 deals with Detroit.

Umude appears to have the inside track to a roster spot, whether standard or a two-way deal, given his play in the preseason. However, the Pistons are in a good position to claim a young player on waivers from another team if they chose to, so I’d expect them to at least explore that option.

New Orleans Pelicans

Open two-way spots: 1

The Pelicans also have one open standard spot in addition to their open two-way spot, but given their proximity to the tax, I’d expect them to keep their 15th standard spot open.

That leaves one two-way spot, and they have five players currently signed to Exhibit 10 deals in Jalen Crutcher, Izaiah Brockington, Trey Jemison, Tevian Jones and Malcolm Hill. Jemison, who was once reportedly eyed for a two-way with Phoenix, has been impressive in the preseason and a promotion to a two-way deal wouldn’t be surprising.

Orlando Magic

Open two-way spots: 1

Orlando has a talented crop of players signed to Exhibit 10 deals, including last year’s dunk contest champion Mac McClung. Joining McClung are Trevelin Queen, Brandon Williams and Miye Oni, all of whom have NBA experience.

The Magic traded for the G League rights to McClung and Williams earlier this offseason, which could indicate they don’t plan to convert either given that they have secured their potential G League services However, I expect both to have a chance to make the roster.

Phoenix Suns

Open two-way spots: 1

The Suns don’t have any players currently signed to training camp deals, so it’s hard to predict what they’ll do with these slots. Historically, Phoenix has used their two-way spots to sign players who are older and/or have NBA experience. Ish Wainright and Duane Washington are two such examples and they have Udoka Azubuike and Saben Lee already on board who both fit that bill.

Given that Phoenix is the only team without a G League affiliate for the upcoming season, it’d track that whoever they sign to fill that spot, if any player, would also fulfill that criteria.

San Antonio Spurs

Open two-way spots: 1

Charles Bediako is the only player the Spurs have signed to an Exhibit 10 deal as of Friday afternoon, so he could be a logical option to fill San Antonio’s last two-way contract. Bediako was ESPN’s fifth-best ranked undrafted free agent after the 2023 draft and eight of the top 10 signed two-way deals following the draft (Miles was later waived).

Washington Wizards

Open two-way spots: 1

The Wizards are in the process of cycling through Exhibit 10 players, so I’m not 100% convinced they move either Jules Bernard or Michael Foster Jr., their two current Exhibit 10 signees, to two-way slots. Bernard isn’t a bad bet though — he averaged 15.3 points for Washington’s affiliate Capital City Go-Go last season.

It’s also important to note that every player currently signed to a two-way deal isn’t necessarily a lock to make their team. With a modest contract guarantee, teams often swap out two-way players either before the season or during the course of the year. For example, Miles was waived earlier this week by the Mavericks despite holding a two-way deal.

Potential situations to monitor include Jay Scrubb of the Celtics, who is on a one-year two-way deal but is out for the season with a torn ACL; and Dru Smith of the Heat, whom Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel identified as a possible odd man out, though head coach Erik Spoelstra has spoken highly of him.

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