The Indiana Pacers made headlines earlier this week for signing Mac McClung from free agency.
The headlines are generated because McClung is a three-time NBA Slam Dunk champion despite not having played much in the actual NBA at all.
McClung is a talented hooper, having won MVP in the G League. But he's never really gotten an NBA chance.
The Pacers didn't sign him to be a dunker, though. Indiana is dealing with immense injury trouble at the moment. The Pacers need McClung to be so much more than a dunker.
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Why did the Pacers sign Mac McClung?
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle spoke this week about the signing and explained that it didn't have anything to do with his dunks.
This is how Carlisle summed up the move in a local radio appearance:
“He can score, he’s a hard-playing guy. For all the things we did in the workout, he didn’t dunk the ball once. … We need a guy that has energy, can go hard, is healthy – I think ‘is healthy’ is probably the number one thing – and that can play a couple of positions. He can play point, he can play off the ball.”
McClung's contract has been reported to be two years, with the 2026-27 season being a team option. Indiana doesn't need him to pan out to pay off some big contract or anything. The Pacers just need McClung to deliver while their team is shorthanded.
If he can do that, there's a chance he could make a real NBA future for himself.
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