Getty Mac McClung and his Golden State Warriors teammates celebrate a summer league victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
James Wiseman may have been the headline-maker during the Golden State Warriors‘ trip to Japan, but it was Mac McClung who got the final word on the court. And, as has been his custom since summer league, he spoke loudly.
With the Dubs trailing the Washington Wizards 85-74 heading into the fourth quarter of their go-home bout at Saitama Super Arena, Steve Kerr sprung McClung from the bench for the first time to incredible effect.
Playing all of the game’s final 12 minutes, McClung scored a team-best nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, while adding two boards, two assists and two steals. In doing so, the vagabond hooper paced a 30-10 run to secure the comeback win over the Wiz.
Despite that performance, though — not to mention McClung’s fabled summer exploits — Golden State opted to give him his walking papers this week. And Kerr clearly didn’t relish the decision.
Kerr Gets Real on McClung’s Surprising Warriors Exit
Look at this Mac McClung dunk 👀
The Warriors made the call to part ways with McClung in order to clear a roster spot for point guard Ty Jerome, who had just been waived by the Houston Rockets. That’s not to say, though, that Kerr took the decision lightly. Rather, he fretted over McClung’s dismissal.
“I think we were interested in a more pass-first point guard,” Kerr told reporters in the wake of the move(s). “Letting Mac go was tough. I love Mac, and I think he’s an NBA player.”
Had the Warriors’ mix been slightly different, McClung may have even remained in the fold. However, the 6-foot-5 Jerome is a better match for the team’s personnelhas significantly more NBA experience and he also has some obvious physical advantages over the 6-foot-2 McClung.
“For our roster, we needed more of a pass-first guy. And Ty is a very intriguing player because of his size and his ability to see over the top of the defense, his pick-and-roll play,” Kerr added. “So, it’s a great opportunity for us to get a look at him and for him to play with our guys.”
Ty Jerome At a Glance
The 25-year-old Jerome improved year-over-year during his collegiate run at Virginia. His progression was punctuated by a junior season that saw him average 13.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest. The campaign also resulted in a national championship for the Cavaliers and Jerome’s second-straight All-ACC nod.
After forgoing his final year of eligibility, he was selected with the 24th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was then traded twice, ultimately landing in the Valley of the Sun for his rookie campaign. Alas, he played sparingly and spent time in the G League while dealing with ankle problems.
In November of 2020, he was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Chris Paul trade while still recovering from his latest ankle injury. He finished incredibly strong after returning to the court in February of 2021, though.
Appearing in 33 games with OKC, Jerome averaged 10.7 points, 3.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds per outing, hitting 42.3% of his three-point attempts in the process.
Unfortunately, he battled injuries again in ’21-22 and his numbers dipped across the board. He got moved to the Rockets late last month.
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Warriors’ Coach Steve Kerr Laments ‘Tough’ Roster Decision on Prospect