Without a doubt, the Oklahoma City Thunder were one of the biggest winners of the trade deadline.
They weren't expected to make a move, but they took a buy-low swing on a promising young guard in Jared McCain, sending a small pile of draft capital to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for what they hoped could become an important contributor for them down the road.
Instead, McCain has immediately become impactful, carving out his role in the rotation in Ajay Mitchell's absence. Although most other organizations would have been loathe to sacrifice the amount of draft capital they gave up, Oklahoma City is so replete with draft picks that their absence will hardly be felt.
Now that the Houston Rockets have found their footing again, the trade only looks better on the Thunder's part.
The Houston Rockets are lowering the value of the 76ers' pick by the day
The Thunder are in an intriguing position. Because of Sam Presti's sharp maneuvers over the past few seasons, they now have amassed so much draft capital that they, frankly, cannot keep all of it.
If they did, it would force them to bring players into the fold that they currently have no room for. The McCain trade, therefore, made sense in more ways than one.
Presti was betting on McCain finding his rookie form again, and he has very quickly. Over his last eight games, McCain has averaged 13.3 points, three rebounds, and one assist while shooting 43.2% from beyond the arc. He's received a steady diet of about 20 minutes per night in that span.
The real kicker is that the value of the premier draft pick Oklahoma City gave up in the trade, the Houston Rockets' 2026 first-round selection, is decreasing in value by the day. Although there are doubts as to Houston's ability to contend this season, they have won seven of their last 10 games.
They are currently in sole possession of the third seed in the Western Conference. With the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves scuffling, it's very possible the Rockets finish the season with a top-3 seed.
This will set them up well to win a first-round series and possibly even scrape through the second round. This would leave Philadelphia with a pick in the low 20s, accompanied by the trio of second-round picks they received in the trade.
For a the Thunder, who desperately needed an additional shooter off the bench, the McCain trade has already proved its value. The Rockets can only make it look better from here on out.