Former Sixers Guard: 'I Didn't Get to Talk to [Daryl Morey] Much At All'

In a rather blunt assessment of the move to ship out the young talent, Morey said, "I am quite confident we were selling high. Obviously, time will tell."

Jan 3, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) warms up prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Former Sixers guard Jared McCain, who was traded leading up to this week's deadline, revealed that he did not get to talk to Daryl Morey "much at all" when the team's President of Basketball Operations traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I mean, I didn't get to talk to him much...at all when he called me. But, yeah, I don't know," McCain said when an Oklahoma City reporter told him of some of Morey's commentary at the Sixers' post-deadline media availability.

Morey defended his recommendation to trade McCain at his press conference in Camden, New Jersey on Friday.

In a rather blunt assessment of the move to ship out the young talent, Morey said, "I am quite confident we were selling high. Obviously, time will tell."

Philadelphia got a pile of draft picks back in the deal: A 2026 first-round pick via the Houston Rockets, the most favorable of 2027 second-round picks between the Thunder, Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, a 2028 second-round choice from the Milwaukee Bucks and another 2028 second-rounder from the Thunder.

Just as time will tell on whether Morey's assessment of McCain's value was correct, time will also tell whether those draft picks redeem any value at all.

The reality is that McCain was likely destined to max out as a sixth man in Philadelphia, even if current sixth man Quentin Grimes doesn't stick around for the future. He and franchise star Tyrese Maxey were unlikely to be a viable defensive combination for a starting lineup with serious title aspirations, and last season's misery landed the Sixers a guard who fits much better as a two-way player next to Maxey.

But unfortunately for McCain, it's difficult to see a scenario where his talents play a big role for the Thunder right now, either. They do need shooting, but they're also a defense-first team with the reigning NBA MVP running point and a bunch of more capable defenders at the guard spots in front of McCain.

Nonetheless, Morey did not offer much of a soft landing in his first on-the-record comments since the deal. And this isn't the first time a former Sixer has expressed that they felt discarded by the Sixers' braintrust.

Morey has always said that he feels he has very strong relationships around the league. But there's a pattern of players feeling like they weren't appreciated on their ways out of Philadelphia.