Former first-round draft pick Jared McCain has been traded to the Thunder from the 76ers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday, one day before the NBA trade deadline.
Oklahoma City is sending Philadelphia a 2026 Rockets first-round pick and three second-round picks in exchange for McCain. The first-round pick was acquired in 2019 when the Thunder traded Russell Westbrook to the Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul.
McCain was in his second season in Philly, and had started just one game. He has dealt with various injuries already in his young NBA career, with a torn meniscus ending his rookie season prematurely and a torn ligament in his shooting thumb pushing his 2025-26 season debut back.
McCain will join the No. 1 team in the league (40–11) and the reigning NBA champions. He’s averaging 6.6 points on 38.5% shooting, two rebounds and 1.7 assists so far this season.
The Thunder will need to cut at least one player on the roster to make room for McCain, so it’s likely that OKC isn’t done making moves before Thursday’s trade deadline. McCain will likely play off the bench, like he had been in Philadelphia, but the Thunder additionally announced on Wednesday that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out until at least after the All-Star Break with an abdominal strain. It’s possible that McCain could step up to fill some of SGA’s role during his absence.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sixers Send Guard Jared McCain to Thunder in Trade.
