For one night, Mac McClung was the talk of the NBA after dominating the Slam Dunk Contest. Perhaps more important than the money or the clout: he's never had a better shot of making the league.
It's a huge stepping stone given that even Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey was hyping him up after the win. He's currently on a two-way contract with the Sixers after playing for their G League squad, the Delaware Blue Coats. McClung opted to play for the G League and it reportedly cost him at least a million dollars to risk it, via The Athletic's Rich Hofmann:
“Mac McClung faced this salary dilemma last summer. He could have made over a million dollars playing either for Fenerbahce (Turkey) or the Shanghai Sharks (China). Fenerbahce is one of the top teams in the EuroLeague, which contains the top clubs from all of the top European domestic leagues. Outside of the NBA, it is the best league in the world. Six of Fenerbahce’s top eight scorers are American, including former college stars Johnathan Motley (Baylor) Nigel Hayes-Davis (Wisconsin), Carsen Edwards (Purdue) and Nick Calathes and Scottie Wilbekin, both former Florida Gators.”
It's a huge gamble given that G League salaries don't even hit six figures. But what it does offer is a much easier path to the NBA due to proximity and its focus on developing the players for the league as compared to EuroLeague teams that are solely focused on winning trophies on their own home soil.
Mac McClung may not have the massive salary, but he has the shine right now and will likely get his chance at carving out a role with the Sixers or another team sooner rather than later. Only time will tell if he made the right decision down the line.
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