The Warriors are giving the kid a chance.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Golden State will sign Mac McClung to a non-guaranteed, one-year deal. That’s a little more than the glorified tryout “Exhibit 10” contracts teams often hand out to players in training camp.
As Anthony Slater points out, this gives McClung a chance to make the roster.
The organization has intended on leaving the 15th spot open for a training camp standout. There’s also the possibility they leave that spot open for at least some of the season to spare themselves some of the perils of the luxury tax.
McClung was electric in Summer League, averaging 13.4 points and 4.8 assists per game, and has always showed flashes.
He spent last season with the South Bay Lakers in the G-League, averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. His 3-point percentage of 37.7 percent was respectable, and he was 46.7 percent from the field.
The Lakers also gave him a proper debut last season (he debuted with the Bulls last year, but played less than three minutes). He slammed home this reverse dunk to conclude an otherwise dreary season for Los Angeles.
McClung’s story goes back to high school, though. His mixtape (below) is the stuff of legend.
He was widely recruited coming out of high school, choosing Georgetown and playing two years there before transferring to Texas Tech for his final season.
In his three years, he averaged 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a steal per game. His 3-point shot was questionable, going 31.3 percent from deep, but he was a 79.7 percent free throw shooter, which some feel is more indicative of shooting success at the next level.
The problem with McClung has been his size and not being a totally reliable shooter. He’s listed at 6’2″, but that seems pretty generous. J.J. Barea was listed at 6 foot but was reportedly 5’10”. It would not be surprising if McClung is closer to 6 feet.
Despite his diminutive stature, McClung is an absolute freak athlete; a cheat code, if you will. His 43.5-inch vertical at the NBA Combine is the seventh-highest figure ever recorded at the Combine.
While it won’t be easy for McClung to make the roster, he’s a hyper-athletic prospect who, at the very least, can get to the rim and create off the dribble.