Jared McCain’s split with the Philadelphia 76ers surprised many, considering he had such a strong run just one season ago.
Before going down with a knee injury, which derailed his rookie season, McCain was widely viewed as the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. It seemed clear that the future was bright.
At this point, the Sixers aren’t so sure that’s the case. Another injury prevented McCain from making his return at the start of the 2025-2026 NBA season. When he was cleared to make his debut, it was an uphill battle to get back to his normal rotational role.
McCain struggled with his shot, which ultimately caused his minutes to fluctuate. As the struggles and the change in role compounded, McCain was ultimately having a rough sophomore effort. In 37 games, he shot just 38 percent from the field, producing 6.6 points per game.
On the eve of the trade deadline, the Sixers sent McCain packing to the Oklahoma City Thunder for several draft picks. The initial reaction by the masses was that the Sixers must have a follow-up move in line. They didn’t.
“The big move was with Jared, because we’re playing well, we were trying to upgrade the team and add to the team now. That was goal number one,” 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey told reporters on Friday. “Obviously, no deal materialized, including using the picks we got from the Jared deal.”
The Sixers cut the cord on McCain early amid a rough stretch for the second-year former first-rounder. When Daryl Morey claimed that he believed the Sixers actually sold high, his comments raised eyebrows.
“I am quite confident we’re selling high,” Morey explained. “Obviously, time will tell, but the only other high point, and we weren’t looking to sell. I’ll be frank, like teams came to us with aggressive offers for him, and you could say, ‘Yeah, that’s because he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above for the future value of a franchise with what we could get. So, the only higher point would have been during his run last season, but otherwise, we feel like we did time this well.”
Many took it as a suggestion that the Sixers truly don’t project McCain to be a valuable role player. The Thunder are willing to do what it takes to change that—just as they did with the former 76ers draft pick, Isaiah Joe.
As far as McCain goes, he was practically speechless over the quote.
“Um, I didn’t get to talk to him much at all when he called me,” McCain told reporters on Friday. “Yeah, I don’t know,” he ended with a laugh.
The honest assessment from Morey surely caused an awkward situation between McCain and his former franchise. The 21-year-old will get a chance to prove those who doubted him wrong while playing for a championship-winning organization with a strong history of developing players.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports
