Muscala was born on July 1, 1991, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, to parents Bob and Mary. His mother later married Thomas Maida. He has a stepsister, Madeline. Muscala grew up in Minnesota, and attended schools in Roseville, Minnesota, graduating from Roseville High School.
College career
Muscala played for the Bucknell Bison men's basketball team for four seasons. He was the 2011 Patriot League Men's Basketball Player of the Year after leading the Bison to an NCAA Tournament appearance. In addition, he was named to the First Team All-Patriot League and AP All-American Honorable Mention in 2010-2011. He was a 2012–13 Academic All-America selection. He was also a 2012–13 Senior CLASS Award finalist. In 2013, Muscala also won the Patriot League Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and earned First-Team All Conference honors, becoming the first player in Patriot League history to earn Player of the Year and Tournament MVP twice. During his 2012–13 campaign, Muscala also became Bucknell's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Al Leslie's 32-year record.
On February 27, 2014, Muscala signed a multi-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks. He made his debut for the Hawks on March 2, recording four points and five rebounds in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. In the team's regular season finale on April 16, Muscala scored a season-high 15 points in a 111–103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. In July 2014, Muscala re-joined the Hawks for the 2014 NBA Summer League. During the 2014–15 season, he received multiple assignments to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League. On March 28, 2015, he had a season-best game with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Muscala again played for the Hawks' summer league team in 2015, averaging 9.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in six games. On February 3, 2016, he scored a season-high 12 points in a 125–86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 26, 2016, he was presented with the Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for being the player who best exemplifies the characteristics Collier displayed off the court as a community ambassador. On June 29, 2016, the Hawks exercised the option for the 2016–17 season on Muscala's contract. On July 25, 2017, Muscala re-signed with the Hawks. On March 11, 2018, he scored a career-high 19 points in a 129–122 loss to the Chicago Bulls. On March 28, 2018, he set a new career high and led all scorers with 24 points in a 126–114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Philadelphia 76ers (2018–2019)
On July 25, 2018, Muscala was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team deal involving the Hawks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.