Former Philadelphia Teammate is ‘Happy’ for OKC Thunder’s Jared McCain

The Oklahoma City Thunder were one of the NBA’s surprise teams at the trade deadline this year.

While there had been a few rumblings that OKC was going to make a move, the defending champions weren’t reliably linked to any names on the trade block and could likely remain competitive with the same roster. Despite that, Sam Presti and company were able to pull off a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for Jared McCain, sending back draft picks in return.

Since arriving in Oklahoma City, McCain has made a solid impact for the Thunder’s bench unit, leading the team in scoring twice over his first 11 games while averaging 12.5 points and 2.9 rebounds during that span, shooting 48.5% from the floor and 43.1% from 3-point range. The second-year guard has given Mark Daingeault’s team another shooter and ball handler to bolster the group’s offense and added more depth to what was already one of the NBA’s best rosters.

McCain has been an integral part of multiple wins during his first 11 games in the Modern Frontier, helping OKC maintain its position as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and others missing multiple games. Most recently, McCain tallied a team-high 20 points as Oklahoma City defeated the Bulls in Chicago without Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Hartenstein.

While McCain has been a notable boost for the Thunder, the former Duke standout wasn’t making much of an impact for Philadelphia prior to being traded despite a promising rookie season. The 22-year-old averaged 6.6 points, 2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 16.8 minutes per game across 37 contests this season before arriving in Oklahoma City.

Even though McCain wasn’t a significant part of the 76ers rotation this season, though, his former teammates are still feeling the 2024 first-round pick’s absence.

“I ain’t going to lie and say I don’t miss Jared (McCain),” All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey said. “I’m happy for him. I watch him in OKC and hope he does well every single night, except for when he plays us.”

Tyrese Maxey: “I ain’t going to lie and say I don’t miss Jared [McCain]. But I’m happy for him. I’m happy for him. I watch him in OKC and hope he does well every single night, except for when he plays us.”
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) March 4, 2026

McCain appeared in 60 total games in less than two full seasons with the 76ers but still appears to have formed a deep bond with his teammates in Philadelphia. In what appears to be a tight-knit Oklahoma City locker room, McCain seems to be fitting in right away.

Time will tell how much of an impact McCain will make for Oklahoma City during a deep playoff run, but the young guard has shown his value to team throughout his first 11 contests in a Thunder jersey.

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