The Orlando Magic have signed Mac McClung to a partially guaranteed contract, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Guard Mac McClung – the back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion and 2024 G League MVP – has agreed on a partially guaranteed deal with the Orlando Magic, sources tell @TheAthletic. McClung went to camp with the Magic last season and will again compete for a roster spot. pic.twitter.com/IIjiAjLlw8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 4, 2024
A two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner, McClung went undrafted in 2021 after playing three seasons for Georgetown and Texas Tech. Since then, the Gate City native has put forth a mighty effort to break into the NBA. He’s signed training camp contracts, two-way contracts, and 10-day contracts, but he’s yet to stick on a roster.
So, in the last three years, McClung’s played a grand total of four NBA games. However, he does hold averages of 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. In his last contest, he tallied 20 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.
Though that contest took place in Apr. 2023, McClung’s play with the Osceola Magic in 2023-24 adds a layer of confidence in his ability. In 27 games, he averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per contest. He also made 39.6 percent of his 3s after converting just 31.3 percent of his 3-pointers in college.
As a result, he was named the 2024 G League MVP.
Magic Sign Mac McClung Ahead Of Training Camp
McClung has a chance to last in Orlando.
His level of talent aside, he’s a dynamic and athletic scorer who does his best work off the dribble. As a result, his strengths are the weaknesses of Anthony Black and Jalen Suggs.
Black, selected sixth overall in 2023, is a connector and defensive menace. He’s a better on-ball scorer than his role as an off-ball shooter would suggest, but lacks McClung’s aggressiveness and instincts. Suggs, the fifth overall pick in 2021, isn’t a natural scorer either. Indeed, the defensive stalwart has a career scoring average of 11.5 points per game.
This doesn’t mean McClung is bound to be in the rotation. After all, he’s fighting just to be on the roster. Nonetheless, his complementary skillset makes the idea of holding onto him more attractive.
The scoring-minded Cole Anthony missing at least 17 games in all but one season is worth mentioning as well. Though Anthony played in 81 games last season, his injury history suggests that the Magic need a plan in place for his potential absence. McClung may be a part of that.
