The Philadelphia 76ers are going to cut ties with the promising sophomore guard, Jared McCain.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Sixers are sending their former first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a haul of picks, headlined by the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-rounder. The other three picks are seconds.
Last season, the Sixers were hoping McCain could develop into a cornerstone player for their franchise. The start of his rookie season was promising. Averaging 25.7 minutes per game, McCain produced 15.3 points per game, shooting 46 percent from the field and knocking down 38 percent of his threes.
A few months into the season, McCain was viewed as the league’s top rookie. However, a knee injury derailed his progress. His final game was played in mid-December. He wrapped up with just 23 games played.
McCain had fully recovered from his knee injury by the time training camp was approaching. Unfortunately, another setback took him off the court for the entire preseason and the first six games of the regular season. McCain finally made his return in November.
The second season with the Sixers wasn’t going as expected. McCain’s playing time was nearly cut in half. He struggled with his shot, making just 38 percent of his field goals. He attempted 3.2 threes per game, averaging 37 percent from deep. The young veteran averaged just 6.6 points and 2.0 rebounds.
McCain now heads to a young, yet successful Oklahoma City Thunder team. He joins the champs as they have a six-game lead for first place in the Western Conference.
It’s unclear if McCain will have a key role within the Thunder’s rotation or not, but he lands in a favorable situation as Oklahoma City has a strong reputation for developing young players.
As for the Sixers, they load up on draft capital heading into a strong draft. Since Daryl Morey took over the 76ers’ front office, they have a strong track record for identifying talent in the draft. McCain was one of many strong picks. He’ll now continue developing at the pro level in the Western Conference.
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