Jordan McRae was asked Friday where he expects to play in the fall.
The swingman knows the 76ers could stash him overseas for the second consecutive season. But they could also put him on their 15-man NBA roster.
“I would say I would be here,” McRae said after the Sixers’ morning summer league minicamp session. “Me just being here with the guys in the summer, and the relationships with the coaches and players and stuff, I think it will help me out a lot.”
Despite being drafted 58th overall by the San Antonio Spurs last year, McRae was tarded to Philadelphia and then shipped off to Australia by the 76ers without logging an NBA minute.
During his time with Melbourne United McRae averaged 19.9 points (3rd in the NBL), 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 27 games. He was named Player of the Week for Round 11 after scoring 30 points twice in wins over Wollongong and Sydney. He then went on to earn Player of the Month honours for December.
Now he is back in Philly doing daily workouts at the Sixers headquarters at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. However, he knows another solid summer-league showing could go a long way.
McRae was scheduled only to play for the Sixers in the NBA Summer League from July 10-20 in Las Vegas. But with a spot available, he was informed Wednesday night that he would also be playing in the Utah Jazz Summer League, which runs from Monday through Thursday in Salt Lake City.
A late addition to the Sixers’ Salt Lake City Summer League roster, the 24-year-old swingman was horsing around with teammates before the second day of mini-camp began on Friday morning. McRae went up for a dunk on one of seven baskets that line the floor of the team’s practice facility, but as he hung on the rim he felt something give. Moments later, he was showered with glass from the backboard above him.
“I’m the modern-day Darryl Dawkins, now,” said the 6-foot-6, 185-pounder. “I might be the skinniest guy to ever break the backboard.”
Jordan McRae spent the months leading up to Summer League in the weight room, adding bulk to his lanky frame. Clearly, he did a good job.
“I practiced at the point a lot this summer,” McRae said. “And I’m playing some point here. It’s known that I can score. But I think me being a playmaker – a lot of people don’t know that. And I think I’m a lot better [this year] on defense.”
McRae who was known as a scorer during his four-year career at Tennessee. He averaged 21 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in the 2014 NBA Summer League. After the completion of the NBL season he averaged 18.4 points for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers NBA Development League affiliate.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
