On February 4, it was announced that the 76ers had traded Jared McCain to the Thunder in exchange for one first round pick and three second round picks.
Just a day before the trade deadline, the 76ers were $1.3 million over the tax line. This led to McCain being traded in his second year of being a Sixer.
McCain struggled this past year after suffering a UCL tear in his right thumb, before the 2025-2026 season, and a torn meniscus in his left knee during the 2024-2025 season.
“It sucks because I feel like I was right there, so close to being back,” said McCain regarding his most recent injury. “Just another setback, but I’m always going to stay grounded. Stay grinding. Stay with gratitude.”
Coming off the injury, McCain faced a significant decrease in minutes from the previous season. Averaging only 6.6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, the front office might’ve seen McCain as somebody they didn’t need on the team. When compared to other guards on the team like Tyrese Maxey or VJ Edgecombe, McCain just wasn’t producing like they were.
76ers basketball executive Daryl Morey said that, “I’m quite confident we were selling high. Obviously time will tell.”
McCain has been beloved by fans since he was drafted, which makes it harder for fans to let him go. Online there has been lots of backlash after the trade.
One Instagram user fitdadceo commented, “Such a pointless trade. He was finally getting his feet under him again after his injury, and we trade him…this organization never learns.”
Many fans believed this came out of nowhere and didn’t even realize he was traded until a few days after it was announced.
A local fan of the Sixers and student of Ewing High School Taylor Saunders said, “I didn’t know about it until recently and when I first heard I’m like ‘damn is this really the move?’”
While the front office seems confident in their decision to trade him, his former teammates have expressed how much they love McCain and hope for the best for him.
“It’s just sad man,” said his former teammate Tyrese Maxey. “He’s like a little brother to me….but I’m happy for him. Hopefully he gets an even better opportunity over there to succeed. He’s got a fan in me for life, brother in me for life”
Another one of McCains former teammates, Joel Embiid, expressed how good of a player McCain is and how lucky Oklahoma City (OKC) is to have him.
“Obviously, I felt like he was starting to find himself a little bit there, especially because of what he was doing last year,” said Joel Embiid. “I think OKC got a great player, especially with the way that they’re developing players and competing against the best defenders in the league…Yeah, they got a good one.”
For the Sixers, this trade gives them options for future trades and acquiring even more young players. For McCain this trade will give him a fresh start on a talented team and create a consistent role for him to play in.
It’s still unclear as to who won the trade. Will McCain prove to be a great new addition to the Thunder? Or will he struggle to find himself on a new team. Like Darly Morey said, “time will tell.”
