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NBA Announces Player Pool For 2025 Rising Stars Event

January 28th, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.

The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):

Rookies

Sophomores

G League Players

* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.

As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.

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 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.

A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.

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Mac McClung To Defend Dunk Contest Title

January 27th, 2025 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

Magic two-way guard Mac McClung has committed to taking part in the 2025 Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star weekend in San Francisco, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

McClung, who previously said he was undecided about accepting an invite to participate in this year’s dunk contest, will fill out a four-player field that also includes Bucks wing Andre Jackson, Bulls forward, Matas Buzelis, and Spurs guard Stephon Castle.

McClung has won each of the past two dunk contests and will be looking to become the first player since the event’s inception in 1984 to three-peat. Nate Robinson, who came out on top in 2006, 2009, and 2010, is the only player to win the dunk contest more than twice.

Known for his explosiveness and highlight-reel finishes, McClung was invited to compete in the dunk contest in 2023 and 2024 despite not being on an NBA roster in either instance (he ended up signing a two-way contract with Philadelphia about a week before the ’23 contest). This time around, he’s under contract with the Magic, though he hasn’t seen much action at the NBA level for Orlando this season, logging just five minutes in a single appearance back in October.

McClung continues to make an impact in the G League, averaging 20.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game across 24 outings for the Osceola Magic. However, his shooting numbers have dropped off this season — the reigning NBAGL Most Valuable Player is making just 30.1% of his three-point attempts after hitting at least 38.0% in each of the previous three years.

This year’s dunk contest will take place on Saturday, February 15.

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Bucks’ Jackson Commits To Dunk Contest; McClung Undecided

January 23rd, 2025 at 1:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks wing Andre Jackson has joined Matas Buzelis and Stephon Castle as young players who have committed to the 2025 Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

The 36th overall pick of the 2023 draft, Jackson has started 31 of his 39 appearances in his second season, averaging 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per contest. Known for his defensive versatility and explosive athleticism, the 23-year-old has had some highlight-reel dunks in his young career, including a jaw-dropping put-back against Sacramento last season (YouTube link).

Mac McClung, who is on a two-way contract with the Magic, has won the dunk contest each of the past two years, but he tells Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel he’s not sure if he’ll try to become the first player to win three consecutive times. The reigning G League MVP is focused on helping the Osceola Magic recover from a slow start to the NBAGL regular season, per Beede.

“I don’t know yet,” the 26-year-old guard said. “My gut will tell me the right feeling.”

As Beede notes, if McClung accepts an invitation, he would be the fourth and final contestant in the dunk contest. Despite thriving at the G League level, he hasn’t gotten many NBA opportunities to this point in his career, even with Orlando dealing with a number of injuries in 2024/25. Still, McClung says he’ll be prepared if the opportunity presents itself.

“And that’ll happen when they’re ready to give it to me,” he said. “Right now, I just my put head down and work. If the opportunity comes, I’ll be ready.“

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Southeast Notes: Williams, Lee, Johnson, McClung

October 22nd, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets won’t have their starting center available for the season opener. Mark Williams has been ruled out while he continues to rehab a left foot injury, the team’s PR department tweets. Williams has returned to on-court activity, so he should be back in action soon.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Hornets first-year coach Charles Lee says he’s ready to get the season started, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “I feel the same way — cool and calm — and I can feel that way because I feel like we’re prepared,” said Lee, whose team opens its season at Houston on Wednesday. “I think that we talked through a lot of situations offensively, defensively. We put in a good amount of information and I think it’s going to help us be competitive in the early part of the year. As the season continues to evolve, we’ll continue to evolve and will continue to put more things in on defense and on offense. But I feel great and a lot of it is because I have a really good team and a team that’s been open-minded the whole preseason. And they’ve been consistent with their work ethic and their work habits.”
  • The Hawks gave Jalen Johnson a giant commitment, signing him to a five-year, $150MM rookie scale extension. General manager Landry Fields was comfortable signing Johnson to a long-term deal because of his work ethic and attitude. “He’s competitive, he works his tail off and he’s willing to do what needs to be done in order to get better. For a lot of guys, that’s not always the case. But he embodies all of that,” Fields said, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss and John Hollinger. “When we get those types of players, we want to invest in them. So we’re happy and excited to invest in him for our future because we see a high ceiling for him.” Johnson had a breakout last season after two nondescript seasons and is thrilled to have long-term security, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, Atlanta is where I want to be,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing, no doubt about that. I feel like we’re building something really special here, and I want to be a part of it. So it meant a lot for, you know, them to want to get something done with me as well.”
  • After toiling in the G League last season, Mac McClung is relieved to receive a two-way contract with the Magic, he told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “It was a special moment,” he said. “I’ve been working hard to get something like this, so it was just very special and a relief, for sure.” McClung entered camp on an Exhibit 10 deal.
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Magic Converting Mac McClung To Two-Way Contract

October 19th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

2:18pm: McClung has been officially converted to a two-way deal, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

12:50pm: The Magic are filling one of their open two-way slots by converting Mac McClung‘s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

A 6’2″ guard, McClung is the reigning G League Most Valuable Player and a two-time dunk contest champion. In 41 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Osceola Magic last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .492/.380/.846.

Despite excelling in the G League and showing off impressive athleticism in the last two dunk contests, McClung has struggled to break through at the NBA level. Since making his regular season debut nearly three years ago, he has appeared in just four NBA games — one for the Bulls in December 2021, one for the Lakers in April 2022, and two for the Sixers in April 2023.

McClung will now have a chance to suit up for the Magic this fall as one of the team’s two-way players, alongside Trevelin Queen.

Orlando still has one more two-way slot available, with Exhibit 10 camp signees Jalen Slawson, Ethan Thompson, and Alex Morales all eligible to be converted by Monday. The team could also decide to look outside the organization to fill that final two-way opening.

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Magic Sign Three Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts

September 19th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have maxed out their offseason roster at 21 players by signing free agent guards Mac McClung, Javonte Smart, and Ethan Thompson, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). All three players received Exhibit 10 contracts, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

McClung’s deal with the team was previously reported. The 6’2″ guard is the reigning G League MVP and two-time dunk contest champion. In 41 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Osceola Magic last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .492/.380/.846.

Smart, a 6’4″ guard, began last season on a two-way contract with Philadelphia but appeared in just one game for the Sixers before being waived in December. He signed with Serbian team Crvena Zvezda in January and finished the season overseas. The 25-year-old also had previous NBA stints with the Bucks and Heat.

Thompson, a 6’5″ shooting guard who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2021, has primarily played in the G League since going pro, spending time with the Windy City Bulls and Mexico City Capitanes. He also played in Puerto Rico for Osos de Manati earlier this year.

The Exhibit 10 contracts for McClung, Smart, and Thompson would make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they’re waived by Orlando and then spends at least 60 days with the Magic’s G League affiliate (Osceola).

It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts up until October 21 and the Magic are currently only carrying one player (Trevelin Queen) on a two-way contract, leaving two spots available. All three newcomers are two-way eligible, and McClung in particular “seems primed” to earn one of those deals, according to Beede.

Orlando had been carrying 20 players but opened up two additional roster spots earlier today by waiving forwards Tre Scott and Myron Gardner.

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Magic To Sign Mac McClung To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 4th, 2024 at 4:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mac McClung has agreed to a deal with the Magic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, a source tells Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

The 25-year-old guard was named MVP of the G League last season, but he’s best known for winning the past two Slam Dunk Contests at All-Star Weekend. He has limited NBA experience, appearing in two games with the Sixers on a two-way deal after becoming the 2023 dunk champion and playing one game each with the Bulls and Lakers during the 2021/22 season.

McClung was also in training camp with Orlando last fall on an Exhibit 10 deal. He was waived before the start of the season and joined the Magic’s G League affiliate in Osceola, where he averaged 25.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 27 games.

Orlando already has 15 players with standard contracts, so it will be difficult for McClung to earn a spot on the 15-man roster. The team has a pair of two-way openings remaining, so that’s likely his best path back to the NBA.

McClung has received numerous NBA opportunities since going undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2021. He signed two contracts with the Lakers, a pair of 10-day deals with Chicago and spent time with Golden State before joining Philadelphia and Orlando.

If McClung fails to win a roster spot, the Exhibit 10 contract will allow him to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Osceola.

The signing will give the Magic 17 players on their training camp roster, four short of the league maximum.

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NBAGL All-League, Defensive, Rookie Teams Announced

April 18th, 2024 at 4:27pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (All Twitter links found here), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.

Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.

All-NBA G League First Team:

All-NBA G League Second Team:

All-NBA G League Third Team:

G League All-Defensive Team:

G League All-Rookie Team:

* Denotes two-way contract

^ Denotes standard contract

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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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