The Pacers are waiving Mac McClung and signing Monte Morris, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter links).
Morris will sign one-year deal that’s non-guaranteed, reports Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (via Twitter).
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Pacers will carry a $164,060 cap hit for the remainder of the season by waiving McClung, whose two-year contract was non-guaranteed for both 2025/26 and 2026/27.
McClung, a 6’2″ guard, has become a household name among NBA fans by winning the past three slam dunk contests despite rarely playing in the league. He appeared in three games with the Pacers, averaging 6.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 11.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .389/.200/.750.
McClung signed with Indiana on October 28 after an impressive showing during a free agent workout. Evidently the team prefers a more experienced player in Morris to man the point with several guards sidelined due to injuries.
The Pacers originally planned to sign Morris to compete for a roster spot in training camp, but the deal fell through when he sustained a calf injury in late September.
Morris, 30, is entering his ninth season in the league. He’s known for his ability to limit mistakes, with a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.9-to-1 — an elite mark.
Morris has been slowed by injuries the past couple years. He played 45 games (12.7 MPG) for Phoenix in 2024/25, averaging 5.2 PPG, 1.6 APG and 1.5 RPG on .426/.360/.826 shooting.
If the transactions are finalized today and Morris receives a minimum-salary deal, which seems likely, he will earn $2,999,979 this season, while the Pacers will carry a cap charge of $2,085,122. Both of those figures will be non-guaranteed until January.
The defending Eastern Conference champions have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this fall and are off to a disappointing 1-7 start. The Pacers lost to Brooklyn on Wednesday, giving the Nets their first win of the season.