When the Philadelphia 76ers traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder, fans were instantly met with feelings of seller's remorse. McCain was moved during just his second NBA season and the return amounted to draft assets that the team can only hope amount to equal value.
As McCain thrives with the defending NBA champions, the 76ers have been left wondering if they can ever match his value with the assets they received in return.
The McCain trade yielded a 2026 first-round draft pick and three future second-round selections. The 2026 first-round draft choice initially belonged to the Houston Rockets, meaning the 76ers will have either the No. 22 or No. 23 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Though that's a valuable addition for a 76ers team that was due to be without a first-round selection in 2026, many would argue that McCain offered far superior value.
McCain is still just 22 years of age and is in the second season of a four-year, $19,448,588 rookie-scale contract. His youth and team-friendly deal were thus equal in value to a 2026 first-round pick. The value debate then slants heavily in his favor when one considers that McCain has already proven to be an NBA-caliber player.
Though it was fair to question if he still fit with the 76ers after they opted to build around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, one can't help but feel as though Philadelphia traded him for pennies on the dollar.
76ers' Jared McCain trade is aging like milk in the sun
McCain was on his way to a stellar rookie season when he tore the meniscus in his left knee. Prior to the injury, he was averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.2 three-point field goals made per game on .460/.383/.875 shooting.
McCain faced an uphill battle to rediscovering his form, but it's worth noting that he shot 39.6 percent from beyond the arc between his final 31 games with the 76ers in 2025-26.
Since the trade, McCain has become an invaluable contributor to the Thunder. He's averaging 10.4 points in 18.0 minutes per game, with his numbers translating to 20.9 points per 36 minutes. He's doing so while shooting the lights out at a clip of .462/.391/.853.
In other words: Philadelphia traded a second-year player who's already flirting with shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and scoring at a clip of better than 20 points per 36 minutes for the hope that future non-lottery picks can pan out.
The 76ers, meanwhile, will hope that a first-round pick in the 20s and a series of second-rounders can provide similar value to not just McCain, but what they could've gotten for him had they been more patient. He was quietly rebuilding his market value and Philadelphia seemingly acted out of desperation with a trade that may or may not yield positive value.
McCain, meanwhile, will enjoy himself as he makes his postseason debut with the defending NBA champions and No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.