The Thunder took a major swing at the deadline, swapping a first-round pick and a trio of second-round picks for young guard Jared McCain.
Through his first 23 games in the league, McCain looked like the favorite for Rookie of the Year, displaying a creative scoring and ball-handling package that made his game stand out. However, since a torn tendon in his knee and a hand injury put a lengthy pause to the start of his career, McCain has struggled to find his footing again.
The Thunder's trade for McCain is a bet on his ability to return to his prior form. If he is able to do so, he will provide Oklahoma City with a much-needed addition to their bench unit.
But there remains an underrated aspect to the trade that almost no one has spoken about yet. McCain is a player with a lively personality, and he will fit perfectly into the chemistry that the Thunder have built over the past few seasons.
Arguably, that's more important than whatever he can provide on the court.
Jared McCain's addition make sense on and off the court
In his Thunder debut, McCain looked solid, posting five points, two rebounds, and one assist in just under 14 minutes on the court. It will take him some time to acclimate. But once he does, he will bring extra juice to the team's bench unit, creating shots and spacing the floor with his pass-making and perimeter-shooting abilities.
After he returned from injury in Philadelphia, he never really got a chance to earn back his minutes. He was buried under Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes. In Oklahoma City, it's unclear what his role will be.
But it is clear that he will get his shot to be an impactful contributor. At age 21, what more can a player ask for?
Apart from that, McCain is joining a team to whom chemistry is of the utmost importance. It's the reason why they didn't make a more major trade at the deadline, and it's hard to deny that the bond of the team's core didn't play a part in their championship run last season.
McCain is not only young, but it's clear he's got an electric personality. He should fit right into the Thunder's fun-loving young core, while the team's veterans should be able to set him on the right path toward becoming a long-time professional.
A team needs both of these things, and Oklahoma City seems to have struck a perfect balance.
Therefore, perhaps the most important part of the McCain trade is that Sam Presti managed to not only avoid disrupting the team's chemistry but also enhance it in the process. It remains to be seen how the on-court fit will play out over the rest of the season.
But the off-court fit couldn't be more perfect.