The old one will be The Philadelphia 76ers Has point guard Mac McClung finally found his place in the NBA? The 25-year-old is one step closer to his goal, as he has another opportunity to carve out a spot on a team.
On Wednesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported The high-flying point guard was close to signing a contract with the Orlando Magic. According to the report, McClung’s new contract is partially guaranteed. Therefore, his roster spot is not necessarily guaranteed.
This is nothing new for McClung, who entered the 2023-24 NBA season in a similar position. Last September, McClung signed with the Magic, joining them for training camp and the preseason. When Orlando submitted its final roster in late October, McClung was not selected.
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Shortly after, McClung returned to his NBA roots in the NBA G League. He signed a contract with the Osceola Magic, an affiliate of Orlando.
Prior to his time with the Magic organization, McClung enjoyed some success as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He began the 2022–23 NBA season as a member of the Delaware Blue Coats. As the All-Star break approached, McClung was signed to a two-way contract with the 76ers. He was able to represent the franchise in the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest, where he won the trophy.
With the Blue Coats, McClung played in 31 games during the regular season. He averaged nearly 20 points on 55 percent shooting and 47 percent from three-point range. During the NBA G League playoffs, McClung scored 25 points per game, helping lead the Blue Coats to victory in the NBA G League Finals.
At this point in his career, McClung is recognized as a star of the development program and one of the best dunkers the game has ever seen. He is a two-time Slam Dunk Champion. McClung also has other notable accolades, such as NBA G League Champion, NBA G League MVP, NBA G League Rookie of the Year, and many more.
Unfortunately, the lack of playing time at the main level has prevented McClung from sticking with a team long-term. During the 2021-22 season, McClung played two games with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. With the Sixers, he made two appearances at the end of the 2022-23 season. McClung averaged 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 45% shooting in that small sample size.
Perhaps a good training camp and preseason performance could help McClung stay in Orlando.
