Jared McCain Must Be Prepared For A Bigger Role Next Season

The Oklahoma City guard will have to step starting the first game of the season.

May 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) controls the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) in the fourth quarter during game seven of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The young Thunder guard will have to be ready to bear a significant workload this season. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be looking for multiple players to step up this season, as their roster looks very different from just a season ago. Luckily, the Thunder have a lot of young talent to choose from when deciding who they will push into that role. One player who can expect himself to get thrown into the fire this upcoming season is Jared McCain. 

McCain has a little bit of experience adjusting on the fly to a bigger role, as he had to do so last year during OKC’s playoff run. The young guard didn’t play a lot in the opening series against the Suns, but saw a little more time in round two, playing up to 18 minutes in Game 2 of the series. However, the Western Conference Finals were a whole different story. 

The fewest minutes McCain would play in the conference finals would be 18, the most time he had played in the playoffs up to that point. Not only that, but McCain would be called upon to start in two of those games, with Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams both struggling due to injury. 

This would work out well for OKC, as McCain would explode in this series, seeming to hit every shot Oklahoma City needed him to. He would cash in multiple big games, going for 24 points in a Game 3 win and 20 points in a Game 5 win. Now, with next season approaching, McCain can expect the Thunder to want the same type of performances out of him. 

This will be especially true now with the departures of Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Lu Dort. With three key rotational players gone, minutes will be up for grabs when the season starts. McCain is in a prime position to gain some of these minutes and could see them come his way at the very beginning of the season. His sharpshooting will be his most essential quality OKC will be looking to use, and the Thunder hope to help him perfect it even more. 

This offseason is McCain’s first with the Thunder and will be his first opportunity to dig deep and train with the Thunder’s staff. Oklahoma City will have McCain ready to ball out next season and will have him ready to take on a bigger role from the very first tip-off.