Jared McCain
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Jared McCain newly acquired guard by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ decision to trade away Jared McCain at the 2026 trade deadline is not aging well.
It’s been a little over one month since McCain joined the Western Conference’s top contender, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the former Sixers sharpshooter is still thriving.
Meanwhile, the Sixers are short on productive depth players and lack steady three-point shooting, one of McCain’s specialties.
But it doesn’t matter if the Sixers play well or not down the stretch of the 2025-2026 season. As long as Jared McCain is thriving, the Sixers’ fan base will feel frustrated over the way McCain’s second season was handled by the head coach-president of basketball operations duo.
One prominent local radio host went as far as saying Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse should consider resigning at the end of the year. The McCain decision was the last straw.
Key 76ers Duo Urged to Resign Over Jared McCain Decision
Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers
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“This is a good basketball player that can help a team, and not just help any team, help a team that is the favorite to win the NBA championship,” 94WIP’s Joe Giglio said on Thursday, March 19.
“I need Morey and Nurse to resign. I want them to resign together. How about sign the letter together and get out of here when this season is over. I’m done with both of them. I like Nick Nurse. I read his book. I was a Nick Nurse fan when he got here, but the McCain thing is a bad look for him. He couldn’t find a spot on the court for 15-20, minutes a night for this player? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Jared McCain Had A Short-Lived Run In Philly
When Jared McCain landed with the Sixers in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, he was utilized almost immediately as a rookie. The Sixers were dealing with a long list of injury concerns, giving Nick Nurse no choice but to throw him in.
McCain took the opportunity and ran with it. He made sure the Sixers couldn’t think of benching him when the team did get healthy again. He maintained 25.7 minutes of playing time as a rookie and was even gaining Rookie of the Year steam.
But an injury derailed McCain’s year. After 23 games of posting an average of 15.3 points, while shooting 46.0% from the field and knocking down 38.3% from three, McCain underwent surgery. That was it for year one.
The start of his second season with the Sixers was shaky. McCain debuted late in the year, as he suffered a different setback before training camp. His minutes were down to 16.8 per game. He was getting roughly half the amount of shots he did as a rookie. McCain produced just 6.6 points per game before his move.
Should The Sixers Regret The Deal?
OKC Thunder guard Jared McCain
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – FEBRUARY 7: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates a made basket during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Paycom Center on February 7, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Part of the reason why the McCain deal has frustrated so many is the fact that it didn’t do anything to benefit the Sixers this season. Morey didn’t land a player in return. Instead, the Sixers ended up with draft compensation. Maybe a better acquisition comes out of this later, but Sixers players and fans were pounding the table for win-now moves.
If you’re thinking short-term, it’s hard to assume the Sixers didn’t end up on the wrong side of this swap.
In 18 games with the first-seeded Thunder, McCain is averaging nearly 12 points per game off the bench, while knocking down 44.4% of his threes, taking 5.0 shots from deep per game. He just might end up being a valuable rotational player for a contender in the playoffs, while playing on a rookie deal that still has two more seasons left.
When it comes to the long-term side of the deal, it can’t be anything other than a question mark right now. Will Morey or Nurse see it all through? Time will tell.