Pacers reportedly waiving Mac McClung, 10 days after signing three-time slam dunk winner

Less than two weeks after signing his first full NBA contract with the Indiana Pacers, Mac McClung is reportedly once again without a team. The three-time NBA slam dunk winner has reportedly been waived by the Pacers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday.

The move comes 10 days after Indiana signed McClung to a multi-year contract, his first full contract in the league. McClung, who played for five different NBA organizations, had previously signed only training camp contracts and two-way contracts.

Announcement

The Pacers signed McClung amid a slew of injuries, including star Tyrese Haliburton (who is out for the season with an Achilles injury) and guards Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell.

McClung played three games for the Pacers – all losses – during his brief tenure there, averaging 6.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals off the bench. McClung played 13 and 19 minutes in the first two games, respectively, but played just 2 minutes in his last appearance, a brutal last-second loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

McClung, who joined the league in 2021 after going undrafted, emerged from near obscurity in 2023 after winning the dunk contest. He won again in 2024 before becoming the first NBA player to win three tournaments in 2025.

Announcement

Despite his success in the dunk contest, McClung has struggled to gain traction in the NBA. He has played just nine games in the league, spending most of his time in the G League over the past four years.

Before he was fired, McClung told The Athletic this week that he was emotional after signing his contract with Indiana.

“I got in the car and I couldn’t help but get emotional. I thought, man, it’s been five years trying to chase a contract. So it’s a really beautiful moment where I thought about all the people who have been with me through this,” McClung said.

Now, however, he will have to start again from scratch.