The Oklahoma City Thunder wisely traded the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and three second-rounders to get Jared McCain before the deadline, and it looks even better after the franchise was forced to shed salary. McCain is set to make just $4.4 million this season, and the Thunder have a $6.7 million team option for the 2027-28 campaign. It is an absolute steal for the 6’3 guard, and OKC needs him to play a larger role moving forward.
The Thunder traded Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins this summer to avoid the second apron. It hurt their depth, but was necessary. Their roster gets even more expensive next summer as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s supermax kicks in. Oklahoma City had to trim payroll and faces more difficult decisions ahead. They need valuable contributors on rookie contracts just like McCain to stay in the thick of title contention with their current core.
Thunder fans quickly found out that McCain is a plus shooter and scorer with untapped potential. He needs to be more consistent in the playoffs, but not many 22-year-olds are impacting winning at the highest level. This was a genius move by Sam Presti that keeps looking smarter.
Jared McCain trade looks even better as role is set to increase
McCain played just 17.2 minutes per game in the 2026 playoffs, but the Thunder lost a starter and two depth pieces. Dort’s 22.3 minutes per game are up for grabs. Joe and Wiggins combined to play 218 postseason minutes last season. The Thunder’s big adds were drafting Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz. They won’t be expecting significant minutes from rookies in the playoffs. That means more run for McCain and others.
Cason Wallace is likely to take Dort’s starting role, but he already played over 26 minutes per game last season. OKC doesn’t like to play anyone other than SGA more than 30 minutes each night. That likely means 20-25 for McCain and even more for Ajay Mitchell as the Thunder fill in.
It took another Presti masterclass to get McCain. The first-round pick OKC traded was from the Russell Westbrook deal years ago. Here is what the trade looks like now after the 76ers used the draft pick to select Labaron Philon Jr. in June.
Thunder acquired: Jared McCain
76ers received: Labaron Philon Jr., 2027 2nd round pick, 2 2028 2nd round picks
Philon has upside, but he isn’t helping the Sixers contend this season. McCain is a plus shooter who was motivated by the trade. OKC has their sights set on winning this season and beyond. Getting a valuable contributor with two and a half seasons left on his rookie contract was a massive win for a team with spending concerns.
McCain averaged 10.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 18.0 minutes per game after the trade. He was struggling with the 76ers as Philly was trying to integrate VJ Edgecombe. The Thunder instilled confidence and got McCain back on track. The talented guard has shown he can scale up his role, and Oklahoma City will need that this year.
The Thunder made McCain’s role bigger, and the trade got better this summer. Fans knew this was coming. OKC couldn’t just run it back without being over the second apron.
Presti again proved he was two steps ahead of the game by landing McCain. OKC paid a minuscule price and got a key contributor for multiple years. Consider that a massive victory, especially when it didn’t put a dent in the team’s massive stockpile of assets.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will keep making moves like this. They know how important rookie contracts are with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams on massive deals. Jared McCain will be an even more important contributor this season, and it will keep making this deal look better.
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