Jared McCain has been balling out for the Oklahoma City Thunder lately, and it could make it a lot easier for them to shed some salary this summer. The Thunder have an impending CBA problem on their hands, and having a blossoming player on a rookie-scale contract makes it easier for them to trade away some of their more expensive players this offseason.
Though it’s only been a few weeks, McCain already looks like the type of player who could seriously help the Thunder in the long run, especially considering he’s still only 22 years old. His scoring and three-point shooting have been invaluable to the Thunder lately.
And now, the Thunder could potentially afford to trade away one of their more expensive guards this summer.
Jared McCain makes it easy for Thunder to shed salary this summer
Obviously, it’s not an ideal situation to be in. OKC should want to keep its current core together, given how much success it's had together. They have a chance to go back-to-back this season.
But the CBA comes for all. They are projected to be nearly $28 million over the second apron next season, and they shouldn’t want to be a second apron team for too long.
With the emergence of McCain as a legitimate rotation player, they could potentially look to trade one of their more expensive guards in an attempt to get under the second apron.
Alex Caurso and Lu Dort seem like prime potential trade candidates. Caruso will make around $19.6 million next season, and Dort will make $18.2 million.
Obviously, McCain is nowhere near the defender that Caruso or Dort is. Both are All-Defense-caliber guys, but again, the CBA comes for everyone. Tough decisions will have to be made. And McCain has looked good.
McCain’s last game was extremely impressive. In a 116-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, McCain played 17:14 off the bench. Despite the limited minutes, McCain put up an impressive 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the three-point line.
For a team that hasn’t been the best three-point shooting team in recent years, having a guy like McCain could be an undoubtedly valuable asset.
McCain is on a rookie-scale contract. He’s going to be a very cheap asset on the Thunder’s books until they have to extend him, and that contract wouldn’t kick in until the 2028-29 campaign.
The Thunder will inevitably have to make some moves to get under the second apron, and having McCain could make it a bit easier to get that done.