The Jared McCain trade continues to look worse and worse with each passing day.
The Philadelphia 76ers' bench was awful in the postseason.
So, moving on from a 22-year-old who was the clear Rookie of the Year favorite before injury doesn't look good for Philadelphia's front office. The player being referenced is, of course, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain.
The 76ers made the decision to deal McCain to the Thunder at the trade deadline in exchange for what became the No. 22 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft along with three second-rounders. This choice reportedly frustrated many in the 76ers locker room, including superstar center Joel Embiid.
"In the days before the February trade deadline, he [Embiid] implored the front office to do something other than what he termed “ducking the (luxury) tax," The Athletic's Tony Jones wrote.
Jones continued, "As such, he [Embiid] — along with others in the locker room — were not happy with the decision to trade second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder, particularly without bringing in a player to replace McCain. In interviews over the next few games, Embiid noticeably had to hold himself back from verbally criticizing the front office."
The 76ers did replace McCain's minutes with veteran Cameron Payne, who was eventually waived after a 22-game stint in which he averaged 7.4 points.
However, it's not hard to see where Embiid's and others' frustration is stemming from.
McCain has thrived ever since landing in Oklahoma City, both on the floor and off the court. He immediately clicked with the rest of the Thunder's roster while averaging 10.4 points on 39.1% shooting from three-point range in the regular season. His strong play has continued into the postseason, as he's recording 6.4 points per game on 62.5% shooting from the arc.
Not to mention, he's still on his rookie contract, earning just $19 million over four years.
It's still entirely possible the 76ers hit a home run with whoever they select at No. 22, but for now, they look like the clear loser of the trade.
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Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.