Magic To Sign Mac McClung To Exhibit 10 Contract

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.

Super-Max Candidates To Watch In 2024/25

The NBA's Designated Veteran rule, as we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, allows players to qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap before they gain the required NBA service time.

Typically, a player is ineligible to receive a maximum contract that starts at 35% of the cap until he has at least 10 years of experience, but the Designated Veteran rule gives a player with between seven and nine years of experience the opportunity to do so if he meets certain performance criteria. This has become colloquially known as signing a "super-max" deal.

The performance criteria are as follows (only one of the following must be true):

  • The player was named to an All-NBA team and/or was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
  • The player was named the NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.

Since the NBA introduced the concept of the Designated Veteran contract in 2017, 13 players have signed them across eight offseasons. Celtics star Jayson Tatum became the latest player to join that group this summer when he signed a five-year extension projected to become the first $300MM+ contract in NBA history.

Tatum will be the only player who signs such a contract this offseason, but it's worth taking a peek down the road to see which players are the best candidates to join the list of super-max recipients in 2025.

Here are some players to watch during the 2024/25 season:

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Grizzlies Say GG Jackson Will Be Reevaluated In Three Months

Grizzlies forward GG Jackson underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot, the team announced (via Twitter). The procedure had been expected after the club confirmed the injury last week.

According to the Grizzlies, Jackson will be reevaluated in approximately three months, which means he’s expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season.

There’s also no guarantee that the 19-year-old will be ready to return at the time of the reevaluation, so it’s possible his absence will extend beyond that.

The timeline doesn’t come as a real surprise, given the nature of the injury. Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes (Twitter link) recently noted that players who have suffered similar injuries missed an average of about 42 games, which works out to roughly three months of the season. As Stotts observes, metatarsal injuries can occur in various ways and in various locations, so recovery times differ from case to case.

It’s an unfortunate setback for the Grizzlies and for Jackson, who enjoyed a promising rookie season after being selected with the 45th pick in the 2023 draft. The former South Carolina standout, who was the youngest player in the NBA last season, averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 25.7 minutes per game across 48 outings (18 starts), posting a shooting line of .428/.357/.752.

Even with several players returning from injuries this fall, Jackson figured to play a regular role in the Grizzlies’ frontcourt to open the season. Instead, he’ll get a late start and may have to fight to reclaim minutes once he’s healthy enough to get back on the court.

Nets Promote BJ Johnson To Assistant GM

The Nets have formally announced a series of additions and promotions within their basketball operations department. Among those moves, the most notable is the promotion of BJ Johnson to an assistant general manager role.

Johnson, who initially joined the franchise in 2016, had served as Brooklyn’s senior director of college scouting and player evaluation for the past two seasons. General manager Sean Marks suggested in April that Johnson could be in line for a promotion following the departures of assistant GM Jeff Peterson and executive director of basketball and business operations Ryan Gisriel for new jobs in Charlotte.

In his new role, Johnson will lead and oversee all of the Nets’ amateur scouting efforts. Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who first reported the promotion, notes that Johnson has been credited for pushing the Nets to draft players like Nic Claxton (2019) and Jalen Wilson (2023) in the second round of their respective drafts.

Johnson will work directly under Marks and alongside fellow assistant GM Andy Birdsong, Lewis writes.

Here are some of the other additions and promotions announced today by the Nets:

  • Makar Gevorkian has been promoted to vice president of basketball operations alignment and strategic planning.
  • Glenn DuPaul has been promoted to VP of basketball analytics.
  • Former MLS executive Justin Bokmeyer has been hired as the director of basketball operations.
  • Former Kings assistant coach and director of player development Dutch Gaitley has been hired as an assistant coach.
  • Jim McDonnell has been promoted to head video coordinator.
  • Geoff Staton has been hired as head athletic trainer.

The full list of basketball operations moves can be found within the Nets’ press release.

Troy Brown Working Out For Warriors

Free agent swingman Troy Brown will audition for the Warriors this week as part of a handful of veteran workouts, a source tells Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 15th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Brown has spent time with the Wizards, Bulls, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pistons since entering the league six years ago. Last season, the 25-year-old averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game across 37 outings (three starts) for Minnesota before being sent to Detroit at the trade deadline in a deal for Monte Morris.

Brown, who posted a .441/.369/.864 shooting line with the Wolves, saw more playing time with the Pistons down the stretch, starting 12 of his 22 games and averaging 19.0 MPG. However, his shooting numbers plummeted to 29.6% from the floor and 28.1% on three-pointers, so his scoring average remained at 4.2 PPG in Detroit.

The Warriors have been working out veteran free agents lately as they mull the possibility of extending training camp invitations to unsigned players. Bruno Caboclo and Davis Bertans are among the other vets who have reportedly gotten a look from the club (Caboclo has since joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel).

Golden State is carrying 14 players on standard contracts and doesn’t currently have room under its hard cap to add a 15th man. However, two of those 14 players – Gui Santos and Lindy Waters – are on non-guaranteed deals, so if the Warriors decide they’re not fully committed to either player, there could be a regular season roster spot up for grabs.

Players signed to contracts that include Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 language don’t count against the salary cap until the regular season begins, so bringing in camp invitees on those deals would allow the Dubs to fill out their preseason roster, which currently stands at 18 total players.

And-Ones: Hines, NBL Blitz, Diamond Sports, Milestones

Former UNC Greensboro standout and four-time EuroLeague champion Kyle Hines announced on Wednesday that he has decided to retire as a player at age 38 (Instagram link).

Hines, who won a pair of EuroLeague titles with Olympiacos (in 2012 and 2023) and two more with CSKA Moscow (2016 and 2019), also spent time with Veroli (Italy), Brose Bamberg (Germany), and Olimpia Milano (Italy) during his 16-year professional career.

The 6’6″ forward was named to the EuroLeague’s All-Decade team for the 2010s, claimed Best Defender honors in 2016, 2018, and 2022, and will retire as the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in games played (425). He also excelled in domestic competitions, winning three Italian League (LBA) championships to go along with six titles in the Russian League (VTB United) and one in the Greek League (GBL).

“When I didn’t get drafted (in 2008), what I thought would be one of the biggest disappointments in my life turned out to be my biggest blessing,” Hines wrote within a longer statement. “Coming to Europe gave me the opportunity to grow as a person. It allowed me to compete at the highest level. It allowed me to become a competitor, a leader, and champion. Off the court it has given me the opportunity to travel the world, meet so many great people, and share in some amazing memories that will last a lifetime.”

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

  • Australia’s National Basketball League is expecting 25 NBA scouts and executives – representing 22 separate teams – to visit the Gold Coast to attend the league’s preseason tournament, the NBL Blitz, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The eight teams not sending representatives are expected to scout NBL talent at a later date — the Trail Blazers, for instance, will instead attend the HoopsFest in Perth later this month, per Uluc. Nets general manager Sean Marks is among the most notable NBA executives expected to be at the NBL Blitz, according to Uluc, who notes that NBA teams will be able to scout draft-eligible prospects for 2025 and 2026 in addition to veterans who could eventually come stateside.
  • A federal bankruptcy judge signed off on Diamond Sports Group’s new agreements with the NBA and NHL on Tuesday and approved the company’s parting of ways with the Pelicans and Mavericks, reports Anthony Crupi of Sportico. The same judge will preside over a status conference in early October, with a date for a final confirmation hearing expected to be set at that session. Diamond Sports – the owner of the Bally Sports networks that will regionally broadcast 13 NBA teams’ games in 2024/25 – is looking to exit bankruptcy this fall.
  • An ESPN.com story explores a handful of individual NBA milestones that may be reached during the 2024/25 season, including Lakers star LeBron James potentially passing 50,000 career points (for the regular season and postseason) and becoming the league’s all-time leader in regular season minutes. James needs 1,364 more total points and 850 more regular season minutes to achieve those feats.

2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?

We’ll begin our series today with the Atlantic Division…


Boston Celtics


New York Knicks


Philadelphia 76ers


Toronto Raptors


Brooklyn Nets

Just One Team Has Used Full Non-Taxpayer MLE So Far

As long as a team is operating below the second tax apron, it has access to at least some form of the mid-level exception, a tool designed to allow clubs to add talent without using cap room to do so. As we outline in more detail within our glossary, one of the following MLEs is available to a team below the second apron of $188,931,000:

  • Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,183,000): For teams operating between the first and second tax aprons.
  • Non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,822,000): For teams operating above the cap and below the first apron.
  • Room exception ($7,983,000): For teams who operate under the cap and use up all their room.

While four teams – the Celtics, Suns, Timberwolves, and Bucks – currently have salaries above the second tax apron, the other 26 clubs have access to one of these three mid-level exceptions. However, only a small handful of those clubs have actually taken advantage of the exception, as our tracker shows.

The Warriors are the lone team to use the full portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception so far in 2024/25, having signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton a one-year contract worth $12,822,000.

Four other teams have used at least some portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but still have a chunk left over for one or more signings later in the league year. That group includes the Bulls (approximately $4.25MM remaining), Mavericks ($4.25MM), Clippers ($3.3MM), and Wizards ($6.38MM). They used part of their MLEs to sign Jalen Smith, Naji Marshall, Derrick Jones, and Saddiq Bey, respectively.

The Nuggets used the entire $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add Dario Saric in free agency, while the Sixers re-signed Kelly Oubre using their full $8MM room exception.

The remaining 19 teams have yet to dip into their mid-level or room exceptions at all.

In some cases, it’s not practical to do so. For example, the Heat and Lakers technically have access to the taxpayer MLE, but are so close to the second apron that they can’t realistically use it without shedding some salary.

Other teams are close enough to the luxury tax line that it wouldn’t make sense for them to spend their mid-level exception and become a taxpayer. The Nets and Hawks, for instance, have yet to touch their MLEs, but they’re each less than $2MM away from the tax threshold, so it’s safe to assume neither team is on the verge of bringing in an MLE-level free agent.

Still, there are plenty of teams that have more than enough spending flexibility to use some or all of their exception. That group includes every club with access to the room exception, including potential contenders such as the Thunder and Magic.

The 2024/25 season represents the first league year in which teams are permitted to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the room exception to acquire a player via trade rather than just to sign a player to a contract, so some clubs may be waiting until mid-season to see if a better opportunity arises on the trade market. Others may use some of their leftover exception money to pursue a free agent on the buyout market in February.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Hield, Melton, Podziemski, Trades

Stephen Curry — NBA owner? That’s one of the goals for the Warriors superstar guard after he retires. Curry discussed his desire to own a piece of an NBA team on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” as Jessica Golden of CNBC relays.

“For me, that’s definitely on the table,” said Curry. “I think I could do a pretty good job of helping sustain how great the the NBA is right now and what it takes to run a championship organization.”

He’s in no rush to make it happens. Curry just signed a one-year, $62.6MM extension that will take him through the 2026/27 season.

“I know I have a lot more to accomplish on the court before I move into other roles in the league,” he said.

We have more on the Warriors:

  • Who will be Curry’s backcourt partner in the starting lineup this season — Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton or Brandin Podziemski? That’s just one of the five big questions hanging over the Warriors as training camp approaches, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Lack of frontcourt size is another issue that may have to be addressed.
  • The front office is still plugging away, looking for upgrades to maximize Curry’s remaining playing career, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. A league source told Bulpett he thinks the Warriors are still hoping to make a “big” move. “From the talks they’ve had — or tried to have — it sounds like they want to do something big,” the source said. “But they also don’t want to break things up too much. Moving Klay (Thompson) was big for them, but it wasn’t as big a trade as they probably wanted it to be. They want to add around Steph and Draymond (Green), but they’re finding that’s hard to do.”
  • The Warriors are hard-capped at the first tax apron of $178,132,000 and are less than $1MM away from that hard cap. That means they can’t sign another player for even a veteran’s minimum standard contract until later in the season unless they shed some salary. Get the details here.

Eastern Notes: Larsson, Johnson, McConnell, Ivey, Sasser, Long Island Nets

Heat second-round pick Pelle Larsson and two-way rookie Keshad Johnson were teammates at Arizona. The Wildcats head coach believes they’ll fit right in with the Heat culture, he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“I think one of the things that makes them impressive prospects is they’re both wired and willing to be great role players,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “You know, 100 percent of their focus is going to be contributing to the team’s overall success. These aren’t like shoot first, ask questions later type of guys. So they’re going to give you a well-rounded effort on both ends of the floor. On offense, they’re going to play their role and stay in their lane. Then defensively and in all the effort areas, they’re going to max that stuff out.”

Larsson looked like he could quickly contribute. During Summer League competition, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He signed a three-year contract starting at the rookie minimum.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • T.J. McConnell‘s four-year extension with the Pacers includes a partial guarantee in the third year of the contract and a team option in the final season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The four-year, $44.8MM extension breaks down like this — $10.2MM in 2025/26; $11MM in  2026/27; $11.8MM ($5MM partial guarantee) in 2027/28; and a $11.8MM team option in 2028/29.
  • Though Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser are not natural point guards, The Athletic’s James Edwards believes one of them will back up Cade Cunningham rather than the Pistons making another roster move. Adding a free agent point guard would take away some of their playing time and the Pistons already brought in Tim Hardaway Jr. via trade and Malik Beasley via free agency. That duo will likely soak up a lot of minutes at shooting guard.
  • The NBA G League’s Long Island Nets will play six home games at in Montreal, two each in January, February and March, NetsDaily.com relays. Most of the team’s games are held at Nassau Coliseum. It’s speculated that the club is looking to extend its brand internationally.