Tyrese Maxey took Jared McCain under his wing during the 2024-2025 NBA season.
Seeing as though Jared McCain was teaming up with Maxey in the backcourt, possessing the same motivated mentality that Maxey entered the league with, the two-time All-Star made it his priority to give McCain the support he needed as an eager rookie out of Duke.
Jared McCain delivered for the first few months of his NBA career, but his miraculous rookie season was derailed. The first-year guard suffered a season-ending injury just 23 games in. He wrapped up his rookie year by averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds.
Despite playing in only 23 games, McCain was still ranked seventh in the Rookie of the Year race. Many felt he had a real shot at winning it before he went down.
It's been a tough second season for McCain in Philadelphia. Before he truly got settled in, the Sixers decided to part ways with him. Now, McCain is headed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, as the Sixers struck a trade with the 2025 NBA Champions on Wednesday.
Tyrese Maxey Reacts to Jared McCain's Departure
"My slime," Maxey wrote to McCain, with an emotional emoji attached.
The 21-year-old McCain got a late start to year two with the Sixers. Despite recovering from his knee surgery before training camp, McCain suffered a hand-related setback in an offseason workout. He missed the first six games of the season.
After returning, McCain has had an inconsistent role with the 76ers. While he played in nearly 40 games, his playing time was up and down, and Nick Nurse sprinkled in a few DNPs along the way.
This year, McCain shot 38 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.6 points per game, while coming down with 2.0 rebounds, and dishing out 1.7 assists per game.
According to Sixers officials, the Sixers will net a 2026 first-round pick and multiple future second-round picks in exchange for McCain. The second-rounders in the deal are as explained: 2027 second-round draft pick – the most favorable between Oklahoma City, Houston, Indiana, and Miami – and two 2028 second-round draft picks (Milwaukee & Oklahoma City).
The McCain to OKC deal will be a hard pill to swallow for players like Maxey and beyond. The young guard made a strong impact on the team throughout his first two seasons in the league. But the Thunder will get an opportunity to develop the former 16th overall pick now.
Newsweek