Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey heard the complaints from fans who were unhappy that he traded promising second-year guard Jared McCain for draft picks prior to the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
Morey opened up his annual post-deadline press conference by saying, “I do want to say that I understand the reaction of the fans.” He then proceeded to provide some insight into the team’s thought process in making the deal.
"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. Obviously, no deal materialized, including using the picks we got from the Jared deal,” Morey stated.
“We were trying to—that's why we did that move a little early. We're trying to reuse those draft picks to add now. We do feel like this deal sets us up better in the future, but we understand that we're looking to add now, and nothing materialized."
More: Jared McCain shares farewell message to Philadelphia after trade to Thunder
That comment probably won’t make fans feel better, as it almost makes it seem like the team traded McCain for no reason.
In reality though, the team didn’t view McCain as a guy who could be counted on to contribute consistently this season – he clearly hasn’t earned the trust of head coach Nick Nurse, indicated by his inconsistent and often minimal on-court opportunity.
They also had doubts about his long-term fit with the franchise, given the presence of star guards Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe on the roster. So, they decided to recoup some value, and Morey made it clear that the team feels like they sold high on McCain.
"I am quite confident we're selling high," Morey said. "Obviously, time will tell, but the only other high point--and we weren't looking to sell. … We thought this return was above for the future value for 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."
Morey’s right -- Time will tell.
If McCain blossoms in Oklahoma City and develops into a legitimate rotation piece on a contending team, the trade won’t age well. But, if McCain plateaus and becomes an afterthought, the Sixers will look good in hindsight for capitalizing on his value while they could.
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