Who is McKinley Wright IV? All you need to know
McKinley Wright IV is a professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Legends of the NBA G League. Wright attended Champlin Park High School and averaged 23 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists per game in his senior season. He led the team to a 31–1 record and the 4A title game, losing to Apple Valley High School.
He was crowned Mr. Basketball for Minnesota in 2017. Wright then made a commitment with the Colorado Buffaloes in April 2017. Wright established new career highs on December 15, 2017, as he scored 30 points and dished out 11 assists to help the Buffaloes upset South Dakota State 112-103 in double overtime.
McKinley Wright IV averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game as a rookie for a 17-15 Buffaloes team. Wright was named to the All-Freshman Team of the Pac-12 Conference and received honorable mention for both the All-Pac-12 Team and the All-Defensive Team.
His 175 assists surpassed Chauncey Billups' freshman record of 143 assists. Wright earned a spot on the first team of the Pac-12 as a sophomore. He averaged 13.0 points and 4.8 assists per game that season. Then, in his junior year, Wright averaged 14.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He was supposed to enter the 2020 NBA draft, however, and decided to withdraw from it.
After deciding to play in his senior year, Wright averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He then finally entered the 2021 draft but ended up undrafted.
McKinley Wright IV's NBA career so far
McKinley Wright IV is an NBA sophomore currently signed with the Dallas Mavericks. Wright is signed to an Exhibit 10 contract, which allows the Mavericks to sign him for a minimum amount. Under this special contract, the organization can convert it anytime into a two-way deal. McKinley is expected to make $1.63 million.
Depending on what the Mavs decide on, McKinley Wright IV could potentially sign for another year before entering free agency. If both parties decide to push through with a contract extension, Wright is expected to make $1.98 million in the 2023-24 NBA season.
Wright has only played 16 games so far this season. That's 11 more games compared to his rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, wherein he only played 5 games. McKinley is currently averaging 1.9 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 rebounds in 9.3 minutes of play.