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Brandon Rahbar: Former OKC backup point guard Eric Maynor has been hired as a Player Development Coach with the Thunder. From Royal Ivey to Nick Collison to Maynor, OKC has a history of hiring past players to their staff. Still waiting on the Mitch McGary as the Player Munchies Coach hire. pic.twitter.com/AsAV8ZBI0s
Speaking publicly about his playing career for the first time since he was waived, McGary told Sports Radio WEEI Boston’s 5 Out podcast that coming back was “something he thinks about every day”. "I’m enjoying myself. I’m stress free. Life can’t really get any better for me. But if I was playing basketball, it might be a little bit better."
At 27, without having played structured basketball for nearly three years, how much of a career would he have left? "If I wanted to, I think the window is closing on my pretty quickly and I’d have to get back into it in the next couple of years if I wanted to get back playing." McGary admitted that it would take “about six or seven months” to get back into playing shape and that he would likely have to go the route of playing overseas prior to a full blown NBA comeback.
After playing in just 20 games his second year, he was released by the Thunder before this season. McGary now is having fun in a sport that his mom, Valerie, competed in for more than 30 years. McGary is bowling in a sanctioned league, and after getting a refresher tutorial on the sport he grew up with in junior high, he rolled his first career 700 series two weeks ago. He scored a 703 in the Thursday Any Mixed League at Inman's Bowling & Rec Center in Valparaiso. "I love it," McGary said. "People are surprised I bowl pretty good."
No truth to the rumor that McGary will put basketball behind him and try to bowl professionally. He considers bowling to be a fun respite in between basketball endeavors. "The NBA is complicated, the NBA is a business," he said. "I'm getting back in shape. I'll be back, whether it be the NBA or overseas."
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The Oklahoma City Thunder waived forwards Mitch McGary and Chris Wright along with guard Ronnie Price and center Kaleb Tarczewski, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.
Randy Renner: #Thunder had been trying to work a trade deal for Mitch McGary but nothing in the works up to the end. McGary is owed $1.5 mil
Adrian Wojnarowski: For now, Mitch McGary is hoping to resume career in China or Europe, sources tell @The Vertical. Wherever he plays, he has issues to resolve.
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Mitch McGary has a guaranteed contract but little certainty. The third-year Thunder power forward is guaranteed a little more than $1.5 million this season. But he's coming off a foot injury and is suspended for the first 15 games of the regular season for twice violating the NBA's anti-drug program. McGary didn't play a minute in Oklahoma City's six preseason games, the first four due to his foot injury. He was available but didn't play in the final two. “If the opportunity doesn't present itself (to play), that's totally on me,” McGary said Sunday. “Just means I got to work a little bit harder to get where I want to go. Wherever that is — it may be here; I hope so — I just want to play. That's it.”
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