Monday's matchup against the 76ers was always expected to be an exciting game to watch, thanks to the revenge angle surrounding OKC Thunder guard Jared McCain. Since being dealt to Oklahoma City ahead of February's trade deadline, this serves as the sophomore's first matchup against his former employer.
Having it come out in the City of Brotherly Love only adds to the dramatic effect.
The cherry on top is the fact that McCain should wind up seeing a significantly increased role on the night, as his backcourt running mate, Ajay Mitchell, will be suspended from the contest following Saturday's scuffle with the Washington Wizards.
Since making his debut for the Thunder back on February 7, the 22-year-old has seamlessly established himself as a tremendous spark plug off the pine, posting highly efficient averages of 12.3 points and 2.4 rebounds on 46.9 percent shooting from the floor and 44.0 percent shooting from deep.
Along the way, he's also ranked sixth on the team in both plus-minus and offensive rating among those who have played in over five games throughout his month and change tenure, while Oklahoma City has registered the league's second-best record of 16-3.
Even before the league-issued Mitchell suspension, the return of McCain was slated to be rather stirring. Reports are that the 76ers even plan to have a tribute for the guard.
Now, with less competition for backcourt touches and minutes, McCain finds himself in a prime position to put forth a truly memorable return showing out in Philly.
Jared McCain has been a true luxury for Thunder since his arrival
As noted, McCain has quickly become a fixture within Oklahoma City's dynasty-pushing rotation since arriving ahead of February 5.
His impact and overall play have been so impressive, in fact, that Zach Kram of ESPN recently labeled it (along with Ajay Mitchell's new deal) as the second-best move made in the entire league dating back to the offseason.
At the time of the exchange, the Thunder were already the reigning NBA Champions, were the top seed in the Western Conference standings, and boasted the best odds to run the postseason gauntlet yet again in 2025-26.
Adding the 15 pick from the 2024 draft, who, a season ago, was the no-brainer choice to win Rookie of the Year before being shut down with a UCL tear in his right thumb, for a late 2026 first-round pick and a few seconds has proven to be more than worth it for Sam Presti and company.
While Daryl Morey may believe the 76ers were "selling high" on the likes of McCain, six weeks removed from the exchange, it's become quite evident that the Thunder might have actually pulled off the biggest heist of the campaign instead.