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What is a two-way contract in the NBA? Here's how Mac McClung is on two teams at once.

Jacob Livesay, USA TODAY
·4 min read

Mac McClung made history as the first G League player to participate in the NBA dunk contest.

Four days before his dunk contest victory, news broke that McClung had signed a deal that put him on the roster of the Philadelphia 76ers.

But McClung is also on the roster for the Delaware Blue Coats. In fact, his dunk contest victory significantly boosted ticket sales revenue for the 76ers' G League affiliate team, according to Blue Coats executives.

So what's going on here? Here's how McClung and other early-career players can be on two rosters at once.

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What is a two-way contract?

In the NBA, a "two-way contract" is a relatively new option that allows developing players to simultaneously be rostered on an NBA team and its G League affiliate. Each NBA team can have two players on this type of contract, according to the G League.

As of March 2023, an NBA team is permitted to have 15 players on official contracts during the regular season, plus two players on two-way contracts, expanding each team's roster to 17 player slots, according to the NBA.

But that doesn't necessarily mean more reserves suited up on the bench. An NBA team can still only have 15 "active" players listed for each game, according to the NBA.

There are also limitations to being a two-way player. Only players with three or fewer years of NBA service are eligible for two-way contracts, and players in two-way contract slots are only eligible to be active in a maximum of 50 games with their NBA team, according to the G League. These players spend the rest of the season with their team's G League. If their team does not have an affiliate, they will be sent to play with another team's affiliate, according to SB Nation.

Only two NBA teams, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns, do not have G League affiliates for the 2022-2023 season, according to the G League.

Mac McClung celebrates with the trophy after winning the Dunk Contest.
Mac McClung celebrates with the trophy after winning the Dunk Contest.

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NBA players under two-way contracts

Here are the NBA players under two-way contracts for the 2022-2023 season as of March 2023, according to the NBA G League:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is a two-way contract in the NBA? Details on the G League deal.