Why the Spurs are thrilled to have undersized guard Jordan McLaughlin back

It wasn't one of the marquee moves of the offseason, but the Spurs' transaction on July 12 prompted positive reactions all the way from Paris to a peaceful critter-filled spread out in Boerne.

"It put a smile on my face to know he was going to be back with us," Keldon Johnson said.

Indeed, the Spurs re-signing little-used Jordan McLaughlin to a one-year, $3.2 million contract to return as a reliable fourth guard insurance policy was a feel-good moment for all the players and members of the coaching staff.

"He's always ready to play," Johnson said. "He's always positive, just an amazing teammate, an amazing asset, the ultimate professional. He shows up every day. He's consistent. He never wavers. He's never rattled, and he always gives everything he's got."

Said coach Mitch Johnson, "J-Mac has been great for us."

Before agreeing to terms, McLaughlin, 30, briefly looked at joining another team after getting what he called a "couple of other looks" from Atlanta, Boston and Utah.

Underscore "briefly." The eighth-year pro wanted to come back to San Antonio.

"I was very content with staying here," McLaughlin said. "I know what I'm getting. Super happy about the deal, super happy to be back with the guys and the team, the organization."

The 6-foot, 180-pound McLaughlin averaged just 6.4 minutes last season but performed well when called upon while also mentoring younger players, including fellow Southern Californian Carter Bryant, the No. 14 overall pick of the 2026 NBA draft.

"He's such a good guy and his family, his wife are amazing," Bryant said last season. "They're just amazing people, beautiful people, super sweet and genuine. J-Mac is someone I look up to. I mean this in the best way possible, him as a human being is so far beyond him as a basketball player. Just the way he operates, the way he conducts himself. He's a pro's pro. He's never been in a game where you're like, "Bro, we need to get J-Mac out of here.'"

That was true in May when injuries to De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper prompted Mitch Johnson to call on him.

"He got thrown into the Western Conference finals and probably a lot of people were not expecting that," the coach said.

With Fox sidelined for a second straight game with a sore ankle and Harper forced to leave late in the third period with a hamstring injury, McLaughlin logged seven meaningful minutes in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.

Right off the bat, the Southern Cal alumnus made a play, scoring on a step-back 3 just 32 seconds after he entered the game late in the first period. He hit another shot from beyond the arc in the third to finish with six points on 2 of 3 from the field and one assist in the 122-113 loss.

"Every single time J-Mac comes in, he makes the right play, hits a big shot," Devin Vassell said after the game "As soon as he came in, he wasn't even warm yet and he hits a three. He's steady. If he needs to come in and play, I don't think anybody is worried or concerned."

Like McLaughlin, Mitch Johnson was an undersized point guard during his playing days in Seattle as a prep standout and later at Stanford. He appreciates that McLaughlin is always prepared to go when called upon, which was also the case on Monday night in the 119-109 preseason loss at Utah, when he produced 14 points and six assists in 22 minutes as a starter because of the team's decision to rest Stephon Castle and Harper.

"He executes exactly what you want and plays with composure, and that's all you want as a coach," Mitch Johnson said. "And for him to be able to be back is important. We want a lot of people to be back because of what we experienced last year."

McLaughlin came to the Spurs from Sacramento on Feb. 3, 2025, as part of the three-team trade centered on Fox.

It didn't take long for him to fall in love with the franchise and San Antonio.

"Man, it's just the way they operate," McLaughlin said of the Spurs. "You hear nothing but good things before coming into the organization, but when you're in it and you actually see it, they take care of their players."

He also loves the camaraderie of the locker room.

"The players take care of the players," McLaughlin said. "This is a good group of guys, a very talented group of guys, and we all enjoy each other's company. Enjoy coming into work every single day."

Along those lines, he has fond memories of last season's surprising run to the Finals.

"It was a super fun run, and we're looking to do the same with a better outcome this year," he said. "We are confident and connected. Bringing everybody back and adding a player like Tobias (Harris) is huge for us and I think that'll help boost us to where we want to get to."

His teammates feel the same is true of him.

"It's great when you get a teammate like J-Mac, a professional like J-Mac, who shows up each and every day and does whatever we need him to do," Keldon Johnson said. "You know what you're going to get each and every night."