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NBA Announces All-Star Saturday Night Participants

February 14th, 2023 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It was quite a Valentine’s Day for Mac McClung. He was signed to a two-way contract by the Sixers and, hours later, was named as one of the four participants in this year’s Slam Dunk competition during All-Star weekend, according to an NBA press release.

He’ll be joined by the Rockets’ Kenyon Martin Jr., the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III and the Knicks’ Jericho Sims.

The Skills Challenge will feature a brother act. Team Antetokounmpo, predictably, will include Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Alex Antetokounmpo of the G League’s Wisconsin Herd.

Team Jazz will include Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton, while Team Rookies will feature top pick Paolo Banchero of the Magic, as well as the Pistons’ Jaden Ivey and the Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. 

The participants in this year’s 3-point contest can be found here.

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Sixers Sign Mac McClung To Two-Way Contract

February 14th, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

2:50pm: The Sixers have officially signed McClung to a two-way contract and waived Champagnie, according to a press release from the team.

12:04pm: Mac McClung is getting a call-up from the G League to the NBA, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the Sixers are signing the 24-year-old guard to a two-way contract.

Philadelphia will waive current two-way player Julian Champagnie to create an opening for McClung, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).

Undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2021, McClung signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Bulls in his first professional season and then inked a two-way deal with the Lakers in April, appearing in one game with each club. He spent the majority of his rookie year in the G League with the South Bay Lakers – earning NBAGL Rookie of the Year honors – and has been playing for the Delaware Blue Coats in 2022/23.

In 18 regular season appearances for the Blue Coats this season, McClung has averaged 19.1 points and 4.7 assists in just 25.9 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .579/.500/.844.

McClung was poised to become the first G League player to participate in the NBA’s dunk contest, but assuming the 76ers officially sign him this week, he’ll now have an NBA job when he competes in that event. He’ll have a busy weekend in Salt Lake City, since he’s poised to take part in the Rising Stars event and the G League’s Next Up game as well.

Champagnie, a rookie out of St. John’s, logged just seven total minutes in two games at the NBA level while on a two-way deal with Philadelphia. He has spent most of the season playing with McClung in Delaware, recording 14.3 PPG and 5.7 RPG on .419/.352/.875 shooting in 18 regular season games (28.7 MPG) for the Blue Coats.

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NBA G League Announces 24 Players For Next Up Game

February 7th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League announced today that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Timberwolves/Iowa Wolves forward Luka Garza have been named team captains for the NBAGL Next Up Game, which will take place in Salt Lake City during All-Star weekend.

While the exhibition match isn’t technically being called a G League All-Star Game, that’s essentially what it is. The 24-player pool was selected by a fan vote and by the league itself.

Henderson averaged 21.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.3 RPG in six Showcase Cup games (28.5 MPG) before missing time with an injury. The guard, widely projected to be the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, has registered 17.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 11 regular season games (29.8 MPG) since returning.

Garza, meanwhile, has been dominant at the G League level while playing for the Timberwolves on a two-way contract. He averaged 29.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG on .628/.500/.794 shooting in nine Showcase Cup games (34.4 MPG) and has been boosted those averages in two regular season games (32.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 5.0 APG) for the Iowa Wolves.

Here’s the full list of players who will take part in the G League Next Up Game:

(* Players marked with an asterisk are on two-way contracts with NBA teams.)

As is the case with the NBA All-Star Game, the team captains – in this case, Henderson and Garza – will select their 12-man squads in a draft. The draft for the G League Next Up Game will take place on February 14.

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NBA Announces Player Pool For Rising Stars Event

January 31st, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA officially unveiled the 28-player pool for this year’s Rising Stars event on Tuesday, making the announcement via the NBA App. The following players 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 longtime NBA guard Jason Terry. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Deron Williams.

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 17 as part of All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. The NBA’s full press release with more information on the event can be found right here.

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Mac McClung To Become First G League Player In Dunk Contest

January 13th, 2023 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The third participant confirmed to be taking part in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City next month isn’t an NBA player, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that G League guard Mac McClung has accepted an invitation to the event.

Assuming he doesn’t get called up to the NBA within the next month or so, McClung will be the first G League player to compete in the dunk contest, according to Charania. The 24-year-old is currently playing for the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ NBAGL affiliate.

McClung does have a little NBA experience, having signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Bulls in 2021/22 and then a two-way contract with the Lakers during the final days of the regular season. The 6’2″ guard appeared in one game for each team and finished off the Lakers’ season by emphatically throwing down a double-clutch reverse dunk (YouTube video link).

The Warriors signed McClung to a training camp deal this past summer, but waived him during the preseason.

McClung joins Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe and Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. as the dunk contest participants who have been reported so far. The event will take place on Saturday, February 18 in Utah.

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Mac McClung Waived By Sixers

October 10th, 2022 at 6:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers have waived guard Mac McClung, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

McClung joined the organization last week on an Exhibit 10 contract. It’s anticipated he’ll join the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League team, once he clears waivers. The Blue Coats acquired his G League rights in a trade with the South Bay Lakers.

McClung has already passed through waivers since training camps opened. McClung was previously waived by the Warriors.

McClung was an undrafted rookie in 2021. He signed a couple of 10-day hardship contracts with the Bulls in December and January, but only appeared in one NBA game for just three minutes. He also played one game for the Lakers at the end of his rookie season on a two-way deal, but wasn’t extended a qualifying offer.

The 23-year-old guard spent the majority of last season in the G League with the Lakers’ affiliate, South Bay, where he was named NBAGL Rookie of the Year.

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Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Davis, Pelinka, Harrison

October 8th, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook didn’t change teams this offseason, but he’s adjusting to a new coaching staff for the fourth year in a row, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has promised that his approach will unleash Westbrook’s talents, and the early returns have been encouraging.

“Definitely different – just the ability to be able to get in the open floor, attack with space, take my time,” Westbrook said. “Miss or make, shots will come as the season prolongs. But just get in that rhythm and know that I can get to any spot that I want to and get in-rhythm shots for sure, so far.”

Westbrook is coming off a difficult season that began with a trade from the Wizards to the Lakers, which meant far less time as the primary ball-handler. Westbrook is working to embrace Ham’s vision for him as a screener and a cutter and is hoping to cut down on turnovers after committing 295 last season.

“My speed sometimes speeds me up and lets me get to a place fast,” he said. “But my patience and understanding of my spacing and my spots are important to my efficiency and how I can improve in finishing around the rim, making shots and not rushing.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • Anthony Davis was able to practice today after lower back tightness prevented him from playing in Wednesday’s game, Goon adds. The team hasn’t determined if Davis will try to play Sunday against the Warriors. After resolving a visa issue, Dennis Schröder is in Los Angeles and is expected to join the team Monday.
  • The contract extension for general manager Rob Pelinka was worked out early this offseason, a source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic. Once the decision was made in April to fire head coach Frank Vogel, Lakers management decided to extend Pelinka so his contract would align with the new head coach’s.
  • After the Lakers signed Shaquille Harrison earlier today, their G League affiliate completed a trade to obtain his returning rights, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The South Bay Lakers sent the rights to Mac McClung and Jared Wilson-Frame to the Delaware Blue Coats (the Sixers‘ affiliate) in exchange for the rights to Harrison and Naz Mitrou-Long.
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Mac McClung To Sign With Sixers

October 8th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

Mac McClung is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Sixers, Rich Hofmann of The Athletic tweets.

It’s expected that McClung will eventually be waived and then join the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League team.

McClung was waived earlier this week by the Warriors and became a free agent after clearing waivers.

McClung was an undrafted rookie in 2021. He signed a couple of 10-day hardship contracts with the Bulls in December and January, but only appeared in one NBA game for just three minutes. He also played one game for the Lakers at the end of his rookie season on a two-way deal, but wasn’t extended a qualifying offer.

The 23-year-old guard spent the majority of last season in the G League with the Lakers’ affiliate, South Bay, where he was named NBAGL Rookie of the Year.

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Warriors Sign Ty Jerome, Anthony Lamb To Camp Deals

October 5th, 2022 at 2:22pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 5: Lamb’s deal is also now official, the Warriors announced (via Twitter).

OCTOBER 4: Jerome’s deal is now official, according to the Warriors (Twitter link). As we noted on Monday, McClung and Trevion Williams have been waived to create room on the roster for the incoming players.

OCTOBER 3: The Warriors are waiving Mac McClung in order to sign Ty Jerome to a training camp deal once he clears waivers later today, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

Golden State will also sign Anthony Lamb to a training camp contract and he’ll be given a chance to compete for a roster spot, sources tell Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The team will have to waive another player to make room for Lamb, as the 20-man roster is currently full.

The 24th pick of the 2019 draft, Jerome spent his rookie season with the Suns before being sent to the Thunder as part of the Chris Paul trade. He spent the last two seasons with Oklahoma City, but was part of the eight-player deal that sent Derrick Favors to Houston, and was subsequently waived by the Rockets.

Jerome, a 6’5″ guard who helped Virginia win an NCAA championship in 2018/19, averaged a combined 8.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 2.6 RPG on .410/.353/.790 shooting with in 81 games with the Thunder (19.6 MPG). Slater and Charania reported on Sunday that the Warriors were talking to Jerome about joining the defending champions on a camp deal.

Lamb went undrafted out of Vermont in 2020 and signed a two-way contract with the Rockets during the ’20/21 season, appearing in 24 games (17.3 MPG) while averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .390/.324/.857 shooting. He spent most of last season in the G League with Houston’s affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, averaging 17.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 4.8 APG and 1.3 BPG on .466/.390/.757 shooting in 31 regular season games (34.4 MPG).

The 24-year-old wing made two brief appearances with the Spurs on a 10-day hardship deal in January and Houston gave him another two-way contract at the end of March, but didn’t extend him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Lamb most recently competed with Team USA at the Americup tournament, finishing in third place after falling to Argentina, the eventual champions, in the semifinal.

McClung was an undrafted rookie in 2021. He signed a couple of 10-day hardship contracts with the Bulls in December and January, but only appeared in one NBA game for just three minutes. He also played one game for the Lakers at the end of his rookie season on a two-way deal, but wasn’t extended a qualifying offer.

The 23-year-old guard spent the majority of last season in the G League with the Lakers’ affiliate, South Bay, where he was named NBAGL Rookie of the Year. He appeared in Summer League action for the Warriors a few months ago, averaging 13.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.8 APG and 1.0 SPG on .456/.500/.818 shooting in five games (24.4 MPG), per RealGM.

Golden State has 14 players on guaranteed contracts after the return of Andre Iguodala and is expected to keep its 15th slot open due to luxury tax concerns. Jerome and Lamb are likely competing for two-way contracts, and those are currently held by Lester Quinones and Quinndary Weatherspoon.

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Warriors Waive Trevion Williams

October 3rd, 2022 at 3:13pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors have waived big man Trevion Williams, the team’s PR department announced (via Twitter). Golden State also confirmed that it has waived Mac McClung, as expected.

Williams and McClung were waived to reportedly make room for Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb on the 20-man training camp roster. Williams was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, so he could earn a $50K bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate. McClung’s contract did not contain Exhibit 10 language.

Williams, 22, went undrafted in June’s draft. He had a productive college career with the Purdue Boilermakers, earning a couple of All-Big Ten honors the past two seasons while averaging a combined 13.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 2.7 APG while shooting 53.5% from the floor and 55.2% from the line in 65 games (30 starts, 22.3 MPG). He was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2021/22.

It took a month for Williams to find an NBA contract even though he was high on ESPN’s list of best undrafted players. He spent Summer League with the Celtics and appeared in two preseason games with Golden State, averaging 2.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in just 5.7 MPG.

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