The Oklahoma City Thunder traded for Jared McCain at the deadline, and he’s been a nice rotation piece for them ever since. The Philadelphia 76ers ignored his clear talent this season, largely due to a cold scoring stretch, and now, he’s balling out for the reigning champs.
OKC paid a decent price for him, sending out their 2026 first-round pick and three future seconds, but they got a guy who they know can play. McCain looked like a stud during his rookie season, but a season-ending injury shut him down. That, combined with McCain’s cold spell and the Sixers drafting VJ Edgecombe, was enough for Philly to give him up.
But their loss is the Thunder’s gain.
Jared McCain has been great for the Thunder, and now, the 76ers look impatient
McCain has been a nice bench guy for the Thunder ever since heading to OKC at the deadline. And he’s doing all of the things that 76ers fans know he’s capable of.
His three-point shooting, ball-handling, and overall offensive production have provided the Thunder with a nice scoring punch off the pine, especially as some guys have been in and out of the lineup due to various injuries.
So far, McCain has competed in six games for the Thunder, all of which have been bench appearances. In those contests, he’s played 18.7 minutes per game, which is up from the 16.8 he played in 37 games with Philly this year.
In his six games with the Thunder, McCain has averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while shooting 47.9% from the floor and 47.8% from deep range on 3.8 three-point attempts per contest.
He shot the ball decently well from three-point range while in Philly, but his overall efficiency took a massive dip this season, as he shot just 38.5% from the field in his 37 games with the Sixers.
Still, McCain was coming off some major injuries. He tore his meniscus last year, ending his season, and then had to deal with a torn UCL in his right thumb over the summer, which required more surgery.
It was always going to take some time for him to get back to normal. But the 76ers clearly didn’t believe in his ability to get back to the player he was during his rookie campaign. A time when he looked like a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award.
Needless to say, the Thunder are probably pretty thrilled with how the trade panned out, as McCain has been a legitimate contributor for them so far.
Not enough time has passed for the 76ers to fully regret the trade yet, but based on how hot he’s been, that feeling has to start seeping in soon.