Orlando Magic Makes Intriguing Move on G League MVP; DETAILS INSIDE
Orlando Magic is trying their best to become a contender for the NBA title and in that process they have added some exciting young talents.
President of Basketball Operations, Jeff Weltman, announced Thursday night that the Magic had signed guards Mac McClung, Javonte Smart, and Ethan Thompson to Exhibit 10 deals in preparation for training camp, which begins in less than two weeks. As per team policy, the terms of the deals are kept confidential.
The 6'2" McClung averaged a league-high 25.7 points, 6.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.26 steals in 35.4 minutes per game while playing and starting in 27 games for the NBA G League's Osceola Magic last season. Impressively, he shot 84.3% from the free throw line, 39.6% from three-point range, and 50.9% from the field.
McClung was selected to the All-NBA G League First Team and was named the 2023–24 NBA G League Most Valuable Player. For the second consecutive year, McClung emerged victorious in the Slam Dunk competition held during NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
McClung, who was not selected by any NBA team, has played in four regular-season games for the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76ers. In 16.3 minutes per game, he averages 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
In addition, he has participated in 86 NBA G League games with teams from South Bay, Windy City, Delaware, and Osceola, starting 82 of them. With a 51.0% field goal percentage, 41.5% three-point shooting percentage, and 84.9% free throw shooting percentage, he averages 21.9 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.21 steals in 32.1 minutes per game in the G League.
During two seasons (2018–2020), the 25-year-old played in 50 games for Georgetown University, averaging 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.06 steals in 26.6 minutes per game. He led all Big East freshmen in scoring during the 2018–19 campaign, earning a spot on the Big East All-Freshman Team.
In 2020–21, Mac McClung also spent a season as a student at Texas Tech University. In 29 games, he averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 30.2 minutes per contest.
Javonte Smart also joining the Magic
Last season, Javonte Smart played in just one game for Philadelphia. In addition, he participated in and started six G League games for Delaware, averaging 18.5 points, 4.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 34.2 minutes per game. He also played for Crvena Zvezda for a while in Serbia.
Undrafted, Smart has played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and 76ers in 18 regular season games, including one as a starter. In 11.2 minutes per game, he averages 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds. He has participated in 63 regular season games in the NBA G League, starting 43 for Sioux Falls, Birmingham, and Delaware.
He shoots 81.4% from the free throw line and averages 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.25 steals in 32.6 minutes per game there.