To many, the trade that netted Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers was a deadline-winning deal for the OKC Thunder.
To Sixers president Daryl Morey, however, it was considered a "sell-high" decision by the franchise.
Needless to say, this take from the executive easily could and very well should be taken as a slight at the sophomore guard, who, before tearing his UCL in his right thumb and being shelved mid-way through the 2024-25 campaign, looked to be the clear favorite to run away with Rookie of the Year honors.
Now, roughly a week removed from his arrival in the Sooner State and Morey's remarks, it seems McCain is finding it rather easy to partake in Sixers slander of his own, as he was recently featured on a new song with rapper PlaqueBoyMax that contains the lyrics, "We better not run into Philly, cause if we do sh*t gon get sticky. Can't believe they gave me up, it's cool Imma show 'em what's up!"
New Thunder guard Jared McCain throws subliminal shade at 76ers
McCain's bar on how he was shocked that Philadelphia gave up on him just one and a half seasons into his career is a feeling that's mutually shared by Thunder fans.
Only a year removed from being selected 16 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft and finishing his rookie campaign with averages of 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 46.0 percent shooting from the floor and 38.3 percent shooting from deep, the 76ers opted to part ways with the 21-year-old for a mere package of a 2026 first (via Houston) and three second-round picks.
Now, granted, McCain's second season in the league clearly did not start out with the same flair as year one did, as he was averaging just 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on a putrid 35.4 percent shooting from the field through his first 31 games played.
However, over his final six games in Philly, the guard seemingly tapped back into his rookie year efficiency by dropping averages of 9.2 points and 2.3 assists on 55.6 percent shooting from the floor and 57.7 percent shooting from distance in just 16.8 minutes per game.
Since landing with the Thunder, this level of offensive production has seemingly sustained itself, as he's posted 9.3 points on 42.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc in a mere 18.5 minutes through four games while placing third on the team in plus-minus at plus-7.0 and directly helping unlock the full potential of guys like Isaiah Joe along the way.
Based on these early returns, it appears coughing up the rights to three lower-end picks for the high-efficiency youngster has proven to be yet another stroke of genius from the likes of Sam Presti.