PORTAL PROFILE: Max Mackinnon

By Hunt Palmer

The SEC has a chance to put a bow on the greatest basketball season in conference history this weekend. The league blitzkrieged the country in November and December and wound up with 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament. That group of 14 teams has won 23 games and will play for a national title on Monday night as Florida takes on Houston.

LSU clearly didn’t match the level of its conference competition. The challenge now is to build a roster capable of keeping up, and that comes from the transfer portal.

That ball started rolling on Monday when LSU grabbed commitments from Michael Nwoko and Dedan Thomas Jr. That momentum continued with the additions of Rashad King and Max Mackinnon later in the week.

We’ll break down every portal commitment the Tigers reel in with our Portal Profile. This edition features Max Mackinnon, wing from Portland.

WHAT WE KNOW

Mackinnon is an Australian who came over to the states to play his college ball. He started playing professionally in the NBL in Australia at the age of 17 and won back-to-back gold medals with the Under-20 Australian National Team.

He began his career at Elon before transferring to Portland. As a freshman, Mackinnon started 27 of 31 games and was the Coastal Athletic Association Newcomer of the Year. He averaged 11.4 points per game and shot 49 percent from the floor. As a sophomore, he upped his scoring to 12.1 points per game and his three-point shooting from 28 percent to 36 percent.

That’s when he bolted for Portland where he enjoyed a terrific junior season. The 6-foot-6 wing averaged 14.5 points per game and shot a sizzling 41 percent from the three-point line.

He’s not just a shooter, though. Mackinnon is an adept driver and finisher at 6-foot-6. When he draws contact, he pays it off at the line where he was and 89 percent foul shooter.

MAX. MACKINNON.

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— Portland Pilots Men’s Basketball (@PortlandMBB) March 2, 2025

He had five games of 24 or more points in 2024-25 including a 43-point outburst against San Diego that included a 7-for-9 effort from downtown. He scored 18 on Gonzaga and 17 on Oregon State.

He’s got a gorgeous shooting stroke and always appears under control on the floor.

THE FIT

Dedan Thomas figures to be the point guard. Jalen Reed and Michael Nwoko should man the frontcourt. LSU needs shooters around those three. Mackinnon fits the mold. While he shot less than three threes per game this past season, I think that number goes up on a team where he isn’t the primary scoring option. When other guys are attacking, he becomes a great option on kick outs for open shots.

Mackinnon will assuredly use his length and driving ability to score for LSU, but his more vital role is spacing the floor and knocking down perimeter shots as Thomas and others create them for him.

Max Mackinnon WITH RANGE💥🎯

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— Portland Pilots Men’s Basketball (@PortlandMBB) February 28, 2025

Thomas is a driver. So is Rashad King. So is Jalen Reed. Those guys need room to operate, and Mackinnon should draw enough attention to make that happen.

How he defends remains to be seen. He was second on Portland’s team in steals, but he only swiped 23 in 32 games. He’s not a great athlete, but he does have length.

His best asset is simply his skills with the ball. He’s a good shooter and finisher.

HUNT’S PROJECTION

I really like the fit here. LSU adds an old player who has played high level basketball for five years. He fits a very specific role as a wing scorer with lethal three-point ability.

I think he’s going to be a double-figure scorer who shoots 40 percent from three and makes a lot of free throws in the process.

I can see defense being a little bit of an issue against some of the better wings in the SEC, but King may be able to help on the primary wing option for opponents.

LSU simply could not space the floor for Cam Carter in 2024-25. They have to make sure the primary ball handlers have room to operate this season. Mackinnon absolutely provides that.

After Nwoko, Thomas and King signed, the next addition was always going to be a shooter. That’s where Mackinnon will make his biggest impact.