Many initially praised the OKC Thunder for being able to acquire sharpshooter Jared McCain at a minimal cost. GM Sam Presti dealt a late first-round pick and three seconds for the guard, and he ended up carving out a significant role in last year's playoff run.
Now, after Jalen Williams' gruesome ankle injury sustained Sunday night, McCain might just prove to be even more of a steal than even the Thunder originally thought.
McCain just played his first full game without J-Dub in the lineup. He scored 18 points in 30 minutes on the floor, all but cementing himself as an integral part of the starting rotation moving forward.
Especially since Cason Wallace suffered a torn labrum in the same game that Williams got hurt, Jared McCain isn't going anywhere.
The shooting guard may not be an everyday starter for OKC when everyone is healthy, but it's not for a lack of talent.
McCain proved on Monday that he can play a brand of winning basketball, regardless of whether it comes off the bench or in the starting five.
Thunder acquired a starter in Jared McCain for non-starter price
McCain made four of his seven attempts from deep, upping his three-point percentage to 47.8 percent on the young season.
Of course, this level of efficiency is nothing new for the perimeter sniper. He was drafted as a deep threat out of Duke after shooting 41.4 percent from long range, but he failed to cash in on that promise in Philadelphia.
A hot start in his rookie season was quickly snuffed out by a season-ending injury. Last season, he was shooting just 37.8 percent from three before he was dealt to Oklahoma City for pennies on the dollar.
From there, he upped his perimeter percentage to 39.1 and looks set for an even more efficient shooting season in 2026-27.
GM Sam Presti already appeared to have struck gold with McCain last year after he became impossible to take off the court in the Western Conference Finals against the rival Spurs.
This season, however, it looks like he has unlocked yet another gear, and the early-season injuries may just force his improvement into the spotlight.
Now, the 76ers will truly get a glimpse of what they let walk.
With every game, Jared McCain is proving that the team that drafted him gave up on him far too early. Over the next few months, McCain will get an extended run playing for upwards of 30 minutes per night.
Given the way he's been playing, even when Cason Wallace (hopefully) returns later this season, it's not a guarantee that the former Blue Devil gets sent back to the bench.
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