The Indiana Pacers are waiving fourth-year guard Mac McClung and signing veteran guard Monte Morris, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday.
The Pacers will take a $164,060 cap hit for the rest of the season by cutting McClung, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. McClung’s two-year contract wasn’t guaranteed for 2025-26 or 2026-27.
This comes just one week after McClung signed his first standard NBA contract with Indiana. Before that, he’d bounced around on two-way and training camp deals since 2021.
Most fans know McClung as the high-flying dunker who’s won the NBA slam dunk contest three years in a row.
His brief stint with the Pacers included just three games where he averaged 6.3 points in about 11 minutes per game. His shooting was a bit shaky – just 38.9% overall and only 20% from three-point range.
Morris brings much-needed experience to a Pacers team devastated by injuries.
The 30-year-old played for the Phoenix Suns last season, coming off the bench in 45 games. He put up modest numbers – 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in nearly 13 minutes per game. His shooting was more reliable than McClung’s, hitting 42.6% overall and 36% from deep.
Morris had four games last season where he scored 12 points, including one against his new team, the Pacers.
Injury Crisis Forces Pacers’ Hand
Indiana’s roster has been absolutely crushed by injuries this season. In Wednesday’s 112-103 loss to Brooklyn, they had eight players sidelined.
The situation is pretty grim. Star guard Tyrese Haliburton is out for the season with a torn Achilles. Obi Toppin won’t return until at least February with a stress fracture in his foot.
T.J. McConnell hasn’t played a single game this season due to a hamstring strain. Bennedict Mathurin is week-to-week with a toe injury, and Andrew Nembhard has been out since the season opener with a shoulder problem.
Even the bench has been hit hard, with Kam Jones (back), Johnny Furphy (ankle), and Quenton Jackson (hamstring) all missing time.
Morris brings eight years of NBA experience to help steady the ship. The Nuggets drafted him 51st overall in 2017 after his college career at Iowa State.
He spent his first five seasons in Denver before being traded to Washington. Since then, he’s bounced around to Detroit, Minnesota, and Phoenix before landing in Indiana.
Durability might be a concern, though. Morris hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since his 2022-23 campaign with the Wizards.
