The reality is that the Philadelphia 76ers didn't have to trade Jared McCain.
They sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder midway through this season mostly because he didn't have a present spot in their rotation.
But at this point, McCain has proven that OKC probably got a steal.
On Thursday night, for example, McCain needed just 18 minutes to score 18 points as the Thunder took a 2-0 series lead on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jared McCain had 18 points tonight in 18 minutes for the defending NBA Champs…
He was 7/11 from the field, 4/5 from deep & had only 1 turnover. I will always root for him but can’t help but feel absolutely crushed every time he has a great game. Dammit. pic.twitter.com/g322RzGXVb
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) May 8, 2026
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The 76ers' decision to trade McCain is always going to be a curious one.
He was a leader in the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year race before an injury ended his season prematurely.
By the time he got back in 2025-26, the 76ers basically didn't make room for him to play substantial minutes. He wasn't great in limited action, but he was also likely rusty and not getting much chance to shake that off.
Given the Thunder's successes at maximizing player talent in recent years, you had to assume they knew what they were doing in acquiring McCain, and that certainly looks to be the case.
Philly is still in the playoffs, too, and maybe they still wouldn't have a ton of minutes for McCain right at this moment. But given his youth and rookie contract, McCain could've still had value for the 76ers going forward, and instead, he's helping the Thunder.
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