Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Doug McDermott has built a long NBA career by doing what he does best: stretching defenses with his shooting and moving tirelessly without the ball. His offensive awareness and ability to create scoring opportunities through smart positioning have made him a valuable role player across multiple teams.

Here’s a detailed profile of Doug McDermott:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Douglas Richard McDermott
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born January 3, 1992
  • Hometown: Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
  • Height: 6 ft 7 in (201 cm)
  • Weight: 225 lbs (102 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 ft 9 in (206 cm)
  • Shoe Size: 15 (US) (estimated)
  • Jersey Number: #3, #11, #20, #25 (varied throughout his career)
  • Position: Small forward / Power forward
  • High School and College:
    • High School:
      • Ames High School (Ames, Iowa)
    • College:
      • Creighton University (2010–2014) – three-time All-American and 2014 Naismith College Player of the Year
  • NBA Draft:
    • Drafted: 11th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets (rights traded to the Chicago Bulls)
  • Teams Played For:
    1. Chicago Bulls (2014–2017)
    2. Oklahoma City Thunder (2017)
    3. New York Knicks (2017–2018)
    4. Dallas Mavericks (2018)
    5. Indiana Pacers (2018–2021)
    6. San Antonio Spurs (2021–present)
  • Championship Rings:
    • NBA: None yet
  • Kids: No publicly known children
  • Siblings: He has two siblings, a sister named Sydney and a brother named Nick.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Doug McDermott’s player archetype is that of a veteran movement shooter and stretch forward, a floor-spacing specialist whose offensive value comes from relocating without the ball, getting into catch-and-shoot rhythm quickly, and fitting cleanly alongside higher-usage creators. At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, he has good size for a wing-forward role, though his game is built more on timing, touch, and offensive feel than burst or defensive versatility. Offensively, his role is to bend defenses with shooting gravity, sprint off screens, space the floor in the half court, and keep possessions flowing with quick decisions rather than extended self-creation. Defensively, he is more of a positional team defender than a stopper, typically relying on effort, awareness, and size to hold up within a scheme. Overall, McDermott plays like a smart complementary scorer whose shooting, movement, and veteran offensive polish make him useful in lineups that need spacing.

Scouting Report

Doug McDermott creates problems long before he catches the basketball. That’s the part that often gets missed. Defenders rarely get to stand comfortably against him because he’s constantly cutting behind ball-watchers, sprinting off staggered screens, curling into handoffs or relocating as the ball swings from side to side, forcing entire defensive units to stay connected for the full possession instead of loading up elsewhere. His shooting is obvious, but it’s the movement that generates the shooting. I’ve always thought he resembles a receiver running routes more than a traditional wing waiting in the corner. If opponents chase him too aggressively, he’ll slip backdoor for layups or make the extra pass without overcomplicating the read, although he’s unlikely to create quality offence once the possession turns into isolation or requires him to repeatedly attack defenders off the dribble. Defensively, he understands where he’s supposed to be and generally rotates on time, but that’s where the limitations begin. Physical wings can overpower him, quicker guards can force him into recovery mode, and he doesn’t possess the lateral burst to erase mistakes once he’s beaten. The trade-off is straightforward: his value comes from stressing a defence every second he’s moving, not from shutting down the player at the other end. To me, his ideal role is alongside a primary creator who thrives in pick-and-rolls, because every help defender who takes one unnecessary step toward the ball risks losing track of him. Teams built around pace, constant screening and off-ball motion maximise what he does best, while slower, isolation-heavy offences tend to reduce him to a stationary spacer, which undersells his game. There are clear similarities to Davis Bertans as a movement shooter who changes defensive spacing, while elements of Kyle Korver appear in the relentless off-ball work that forces defenders to navigate screens possession after possession rather than simply contesting jump shots.

Fun Facts

  • His college career at Creighton was one of the most decorated in NCAA history, where he became one of the top all-time scorers.

Sources:

NBA.com — Doug McDermott | Forward | Sacramento Kings
NBA.com — Doug McDermott bio
FOX Sports — Chicago Bulls: 5 biggest questions from 2016-17 season