Mac McClung Shines During All-Star Weekend
After another overall disappointing All-Star weekend, there was one bright spot to it all for the NBA and the Philadelphia 76ers. Mac McClung. Even if you decided to take a…

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – FEBRUARY 18: Mac McClung #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers and former professional basketball player Julius Erving pose with the trophy after McClung’s victory in the 2023 NBA All Star AT&T Slam Dunk Contest at Vivint Arena on February 18, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)After another overall disappointing All-Star weekend, there was one bright spot to it all for the NBA and the Philadelphia 76ers. Mac McClung.
Even if you decided to take a break from being angry from the still-crushing Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl loss or turn off your sports. There's no way you haven’t heard about McClung putting on a show Saturday night in Salt Lake City. McClung, the recently signed/promoted two-way guard for the Sixers from their G-League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats, may have saved the dunk contest as many have said after his performance. While this one showing was really good... let’s not get carried away.
Mac McClung was able to steal the show by busting out a variety of different dunks. He wowed and surprised the curious crowd with how this G-Leaguer will stack up against the more well-known pros. I mean, c’mon -- he has played in just two NBA games during his young career. Both in 2021 split between the Lakers and Bulls. There’s no way he’ll pull this off, right? Well... he had other ideas. From jumping over two people with one perched on the shoulders of the other while holding the basketball. Tapping the rock on the backboard and then completing the clean dunk in reverse. To what looked like a 560 flush that was once again clean. The 6-foot-2 guard simply found a way to bring some energy, enjoyment and most importantly eyes to an event that has been slowly fading in terms of importance.
The Blue Coats' leading scorer has brought some good attention on himself. Landing a new sneaker deal with PUMA basketball. Winning $100,000 for taking the trophy and for the on-floor basketball part of things. He has many wondering why he isn’t playing for the Sixers. Good problems for him and the organization. While he may not actually see minutes for the big club, he brought good attention to the NBA, his team, and most importantly him. We’ll see where this takes him going forward.
As far as All-Star weekend and the Dunk Contest this has nothing to do with McClung. But everything to do with the league needing to figure out how to correct the problem.
NBA Trade Deadline Recap- Shams vs Woj
Thursday afternoon marked the NBA’s Trade Deadline with a ton of movement across the league. Beyond the trades themselves, this day always marks a clash of two titans, Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, in the battle of breaking the deals first.
Here’s a look at each deal and who reported on it first, organized by the Sixers first and then in chronological order starting Thursday at midnight.
Sixers trade Matisse Thybulle in three team deal to acquire Jalen McDaniels
Sixers acquire: Jalen McDaniels, two second round picks Hornets acquire: 2023 second round pick, Svi Mykhailiuk
Trail Blazers acquire: Matisse Thybulle
Woj or Shams? Woj
Toronto Raptors acquire C Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs
Raptors acquire: Jakob Poeltl
Spurs acquire: Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round pick, and two second-round picks
Woj or Shams? Woj (ESPN had a graphic ready for him too)
Phoenix Suns acquire Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Net
Suns acquire: Kevin Durant, TJ Warren
Nets acquire: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first round picks and a 2028 pick swap
Woj or Shams? This is an interesting one. Woj had the report that the deal was close, but technically, it was Shams that had the final report of the deal and its details first. Point for Shams.
Boston Celtics acquire Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder
Celtics acquire: Mike Muscala
Thunder acquire: Justin Jackson and two second-round picks
Woj or Shams? Shams.
Milwaukee Bucks acquire Jae Crowder from the Brooklyn Nets
Bucks acquire: Jae Crowder
Nets acquire: Five (!!) second-round picks
Pacers acquire: Jordan Nwora and two second-round picks
Woj or Shams? Shams.
Denver Nuggets acquire Thomas Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers
Nuggets acquire: Thomas Bryant
Lakers acquire: Davon Reed and three second-round picks
Woj or Shams? Woj (he even got an Adam Schefter retweet)
Indiana Pacers acquire George Hill and a second round pick from Milwaukee Bucks
Pacers acquire: George Hill and a second-round pick
Bucks “acquire”: A free roster spot and free up $4 million
Woj or Shams? Woj.
Los Angeles Clippers acquire Bones Hyland from the Denver Nuggets
Clippers acquire: Bones Hyland
Nuggets acquire: Clippers’ 2024 and 2025 second-round picks
Woj or Shams? Woj
Phoenix Suns acquire Darius Bazley from the Oklahoma City Thunder
Suns acquire: Darius Bazley
Thunder acquire: Dario Saric
Woj or Shams? Shams.
Golden State Warriors trade away James Wiseman in three-team deal
Warriors acquire: Five (!!) second-round picks, Kevin Knox
Pistons acquire: James Wiseman
Hawks acquire: Saddiq Bey
Woj or Shams? Woj.
Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets trade bench players
Hawks acquire: Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky
Rockets acquire: Garrison Matthews and Bruno Fernando
Woj or Shams? Woj.
Los Angeles Clippers acquire Eric Gordon from the Houston Rockets
Clippers acquire: Eric Gordon, three second-round picks
Rockets acquire: John Wall, Danny Green, pick swap
Grizzlies acquire: Luke Kennard
Woj or Shams? Shams tweeted about the trade first. He also provided the Kennard and Wall pieces of the trade first. Woj did, however, report on the second-round picks and Danny Green. Tim MacMahon gave us the pick swap. Shams got more details first so we will credit him.
Los Angeles Lakers trade Patrick Beverley to the Orlando Magic for Mo Bamba
Lakers acquire: Mo Bamba
Magic acquire: Patrick Beverley, second round “compensation”
Woj or Shams? Shams. Shams got this by so much that he accidentally tweeted that Beverley was being traded by the Clippers, not the Lakers, in his first attempt at this tweet.
New Orleans Pelicans acquire Josh Richardson from the San Antonio Spurs
Pelicans acquire: Josh Richardson
Spurs acquire: Devonte’ Graham and four (!!) second-round picks
Woj or Shams? Shams.
Los Angeles Clippers acquire Mason Plumlee in exchange for Reggie Jackson
Clippers acquire: Mason Plumlee
Hornets acquire: Reggie Jackson
Woj or Shams? Woj.
Golden State Warriors acquire Gary Payton II from the Portland Trail Blazers
Warriors acquire: Gary Payton II
Trail Blazers acquire: Five (!!) second picks, Kevin Knox
Woj or Shams? Woj.
Final Totals
Woj: 9
Shams: 7
Second-round picks traded: 38, pending the “second-round compensation” that the Magic received.