The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt a devastating blow on Thursday, Sep. 25 when news arrived that Jared McCain suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb. Once a favorite for Rookie of the Year, McCain has been sidelined since Dec. 13, 2024.
Unfortunately, the 76ers will need to wait even longer than anticipated before they'll see their promising scoring guard make a return to the court.
Philadelphia selected McCain at No. 16 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, seemingly hoping he could provide additional offensive value to its backcourt. He succeeded in doing so early in 2024-25, but a run of injuries has unfortunately derailed his momentum.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, McCain suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb and will be discussing his options with the 76ers on how to ideally treat the injury.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb during a workout today, sources told ESPN. He and the team are working with specialists to decide how they will proceed, sources said.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) September 25, 2025
Philadelphia is set to hold media day tomorrow.
McCain and the 76ers haven't yet clarified how they'll opt to proceed, but it's worth noting that he could still be available for more than 70 percent of Philadelphia's games this season.
Just doing some quick research while in the middle of a live show, from @InStreetClothes on UCL tears:
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) September 25, 2025
"Surgery has a very success rate and studies show rarely result in a dip in performance... average number of missed games for in-season UCL repairs in the NBA is roughly 22… https://t.co/hiYweHShNZ
It's an unfortunate time for the injury to strike, but there's still reason for optimism that McCain could recover quickly enough to get back on track sooner than later.
Jared McCain suffers UCL tear in right thumb, could require surgery
McCain instantly made waves in 2024-25, embarking on a stretch during which he scored at least 20 points in seven consecutive games. In 23 appearances, he averaged 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.2 three-point field goals made on per game on .460/.383/.875 shooting.
It was the silver lining Philadelphia had been searching for after injuries sustained by Joel Embiid and Paul George threatened to derail their momentum.
Unfortunately, injuries became the defining characteristic of the 76ers' season as championship dreams instantly turned into nightmares. Philadelphia's top rookie suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee that required surgery and forced him to miss the remainder of the campaign.
There was optimism that McCain would be back at 100 percent at the start of the 2025-26 season, but the thumb injury he's sustained has likely pushed his return date back once again.
Thankfully, the 76ers are in a more ideal position to temporarily weather the storm in 2025-26. All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and incoming rookie V.J. Edgecombe have the potential to form a dynamic two-way backcourt, and restricted free agent Quentin Grimes would provide invaluable depth if he returns to Philadelphia.
Once McCain returns to the lineup, the 76ers would have as many as four guards who are 25 years of age or younger and potentially capable of providing nightly value.
Nevertheless, McCain projects to be an invaluable contributor to a team in need of reliable spacing and backcourt offense. He's proven capable of shooting efficiently in on and off-ball sets, and has all of the tools to take on the sixth man role in 2025-26.
Unfortunately, the 76ers may have to wait several months before they get their top player from the 2024 NBA Draft back on the court.