The Oklahoma City Thunder should be thanking Russell Westbrook because the first-round draft pick they got from the Houston Rockets was the centerpiece of the Jared McCain trade. OKC gave up the 22nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which just turned into Labaron Philon Jr., and three second-rounders to get McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a stunning deadline deal that paid immediate dividends for the Thunder.
The 22-year-old guard was struggling for the Sixers, but he started making shots and gaining confidence with the Thunder. McCain averaged 10.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game over 15 playoff appearances. OKC desperately needed him as Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell dealt with injuries. McCain delivered two 20-point games to help the Thunder win, but it wasn’t quite enough against the Spurs in the conference finals.
Sam Presti wouldn’t have been able to acquire McCain without trading Russ in 2019. It was painful. The Thunder legend spent his first 11 seasons in Oklahoma City. He won an MVP and led them to the playoffs nine times. The dynasty never quite materialized, but there was success.
Westbrook is a Hall of Famer for what he did with the Thunder, but it was time to move on. Credit to Presti for making sure the franchise is still benefiting from moves like this.
Thunder look genius for the Jared McCain trade thanks to Russell Westbrook
The Rockets quickly regretted trading for Westbrook. They gave up Chris Paul and two first-round draft picks to win one playoff series. Russ was traded to the Wizards after just one season, and Houston embarked on a rebuild. The Thunder made the playoffs with CP3 and flipped him for a first-round draft pick in 2020.
Oklahoma City took Nikola Topic with the 12th overall pick in 2024. They also acquired two swaps that did not get conveyed in this deal. The final return was Paul, Topic, and Philon Jr. for Westbrook. The Thunder unquestionably won this trade and will benefit from it for years to come.
Here is a look at the full details of the Jared McCain trade from back in February.
Thunder received: Jared McCain
76ers got: Labaron Philon Jr., 2027 2nd round pick, 2 2028 2nd round picks
OKC still owes the 76ers three second-round draft picks. It is difficult to connect on late selections, and that got even harder in the NIL era. Players are getting millions to stay in college, so they don’t want to come to the NBA for a two-way or non-guaranteed contract.
The 76ers would have to hit big on one of these draft picks to salvage any claim to winning the Jared McCain trade. That seems unlikely, and the young guard should only improve. McCain is a bucket and will get plenty of open looks playing in OKC. Expect him to keep scoring and making an impact on the biggest stages.
McCain is a better prospect than Philon. The rookie guard is 6'2 and lacks the explosiveness of McCain. OKC got an upgrade on a rookie contract for a reasonable trade package. Consider it a win-win-win by Presti.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have Russell Westbrook to thank for helping them acquire Jared McCain. The Thunder had to trade away the future Hall of Famer to get the draft pick that was just sent to Philadelphia.
Both were bold moves. Fans know Sam Presti is never afraid to shake things up, and fans can expect him to keep doing just that as the Thunder’s roster gets too expensive. Everyone should trust him to keep nailing every move.
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