East Notes: Pacers, Mac McClung, Bucks, Ryan Rollins, Bulls

Pacers

Rick Carlisle didn’t need much convincing after watching Mac McClung work out on Monday.

The Pacers coach told 107.5 The Fan that McClung was easily the most impressive player among the three free agents who auditioned for the team.

“He can score, he’s a hard-playing guy,” Carlisle said. “For all the things we did in the workout, he didn’t dunk the ball once.

“We need a guy that has energy, can go hard, is healthy — I think ‘is healthy’ is probably the number one thing — and that can play a couple of positions. He can play point, he can play off the ball.”

McClung, a three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion, signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with a team option for 2026-27, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. His cap hit for this season is $2.28 million but becomes fully guaranteed only if he remains on the roster through January 7.

Carlisle said the Pacers view McClung as more than a dunker. He’s also a guard who can push the pace and fill multiple roles while the team battles through a wave of early-season injuries.

Bucks

The Bucks’ depth is paying off. Re-signed guards A.J. Green and Ryan Rollins have been key in Milwaukee’s 3-1 start, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

Green has been scorching from deep, hitting 59 percent of his threes and averaging 3.3 makes per game.

Rollins, who stepped in as starting point guard after Kevin Porter Jr. suffered an ankle injury, is averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 steals per contest.

Green inked a four-year, $45 million extension earlier this month, while Rollins joined on a three-year, $12 million free-agent deal in July.

Both are making their new contracts look like bargains.

Bulls

Coby White won’t be rushed back. The Bulls guard is set to be reevaluated next week, but coach Billy Donovan told reporters there’s no guarantee he’ll be cleared from what he called a “tricky” calf strain.

“Here’s the problem,” Donovan said, via Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Like (White) doesn’t have any pain at all with what he’s doing. He’s on the court shooting, he’s able to jog, but what ended up happening and what became a problem when we were playing competitively in practice were those stops, starts, quick explosiveness that maybe he’s not doing a lot of that in individual workout.”

Wednesday’s game against the Kings will also mark Zach LaVine’s first trip back to Chicago since being traded in February.

Nikola Vucevic hopes the home crowd treats his former teammate well.

“I hope Bulls fans give him the welcome he deserves,” Vucevic said, Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune. “He gave a lot to the Bulls organization throughout the years. I know people criticized him at times, but it wasn’t always fair.

“He’s a great guy, always competed, played hard, tried his best and cared and wanted to do what’s right for the organization.”