The Sixers organization will be adding a 6-foot-2 guard best known for his highlight-friendly dunks.
The team will sign Mac McClung to an Exhibit 10 contract and ultimately have him join the Delaware Blue Coats, a source confirmed Saturday to NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Athletic’s Rich Hofmann first reported the news.
Exhibit 10 deals allow NBA teams to offer players a bonus for playing with their G League affiliate.
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McClung went viral often in high school because of his tremendous vertical pop and flair in the air. He posted a 43.5-inch maximum vertical leap at the G League Elite Camp.
McClung also scored in plenty of ways besides dunking as a high schooler, breaking Allen Iverson’s single-season Virginia scoring record.
Compared to the typical player aiming to eventually secure a steady NBA role, the 23-year-old is quite well known.
NBA
“I don’t let it consume me,” McClung told The Athletic’s Jovan Buha in March. “I’m too stuck on, how can I get better today? … I didn’t realize until I met so many people who were like, ‘Man, I thought you were gonna be way different meeting you. I thought you were gonna be a jerk.’ I’m like, ‘Gosh, what am I putting on social media?’
“But I think it’s just the passion I play with. It kinda gets mixed up with my heart off the court and my heart for people. But I just want something so bad that I think you know my facial expressions and stuff may come off as cocky.”
In college, McClung played two seasons at Georgetown and one at Texas Tech. As a professional, he's had stops with the Lakers, Bulls and Warriors organizations, though he’s only appeared in two NBA games. He averaged 21.6 points, 7.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds in 26 regular-season games last year for the South Bay Lakers.
Golden State waived McClung earlier this week and signed Ty Jerome.
“I think we were interested in a more pass-first point guard,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “Letting Mac go was tough. I love Mac and I think he’s an NBA player, but I think for our roster, we needed more of a pass-first guy.”
The Sixers’ full end-of-roster picture isn’t yet clear. Michael Foster Jr. signed an Exhibit 10 deal in July, while Charlie Brown Jr. and Julian Champagnie are the team’s current two-way contract players.
Jaden Springer again appears set for regular G League reps. The 20-year-old had several nice moments Saturday during the second half of the Sixers’ Blue-White scrimmage at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware, making a few sharp passes and knocking down a corner three, a mid-range jumper and two free throws.
“We’re still working on him,” Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said of Springer. “We’ve allowed him to play a lot of point guard. … We’re trying to find a position that he can play. I actually think he’s more comfortable. He’s not a point guard, but he’s way more comfortable there than trying to force it as much, because he has the ball in his hands more.
“I thought (in training camp) overall, he did a great job at that spot. We’re going to do a little bit of that in the G League, as well.”