Getty Los Angeles Lakers guard Mac McClung.
Mac McClung joined the Golden State Warriors as a Summer League fill-in for injured rookie Ryan Rollins, and is now leaving with a contract.
Shams Charania of The Athletic Reported on July 20 that McClung earned a one-year deal with the team. The contract will allow McClung to compete for a spot in training camp, with the team expected to hold open tryouts for the 15th and final roster spot.
“McClung’s deal will be a standard, non-guaranteed deal – not an Exhibit 10 – that gives him an opportunity to make the Warriors’ roster out of training camp,” Charania tweeted.
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McClung’s Strong Showing
McClung looked impressive through four games in Las Vegas, averaging 13.3 points per game while making 50 percent of his 3-pointers. Warriors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela, who led the Summer League squad, shared some praise for McClung’s abilities on the court and his drive to succeed.
“He’s been exciting, right?” Mahlalela said on July 11, via the Mercury News. “You saw his performance [Sunday], his ability to get to the hoop. We didn’t know he could do that at that high level… If he can become elite as a shooter then you add that to his penetration then you’re looking at NBA talent, but his competitiveness for sure is at an NBA level, his care factor. We’re excited and if we can help propel his career in any way possible, that’s a great honor for us.”
Mac McClung has agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, per @ShamsCharania
McClung made some highlight plays during his stint in Las Vegas, including a no-look pass to James Wiseman in the finale.
Mac McClung dishes the look-off pass to James Wiseman for the two-handed hammer 💥
After going undrafted in 2021, McClung appeared in only two NBA games his rookie season but was a standout with the G League’s South Bay Lakers. He averaged 21.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, earning Rookie of the Year honors.
Fight for Final Spot
The contract will give McClung the chance to compete for the team’s final roster spot, an approach that the Warriors also took last season while bringing in a group of players on a tryout basis. The spot ended up going to guard Gary Payton II, who would go on to play a key role in the rotation as a defensive specialist and scoring spark off the bench.
Competition could be tough in the backcourt. Though Rollins was forced to miss Summer League after the team discovered a stress fracture in his foot, the second-round draft pick is expected to take a spot on the final roster.
Rollins earned some big praise from Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who told NBC Sports Bay Area that the former Toledo guard stood out in his pre-draft workouts.
“I’m more of an observer during the draft. And when we go to The Finals, there’s no time to take part in any of it,” Kerr said.
“But I happened to see Ryan Rollins’ workout. I was on the elliptical after practice one day, getting my workout in, and there were six guys on the floor. And he just jumped off the page.”
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