The Philadelphia 76ers made arguably one of the worst trades in recent NBA memory when they made the decision to trade Jared McCain before the trade deadline. To follow it up, then-team president Daryl Morey justified the shocking deal as one where the front office was simply “selling high.” Instead, what transpired was a one-sided swap that has officially backfired.
Despite a relatively rocky start to his stint with the Thunder, McCain had finally broken out for his new ball club –– and the timing could not get any better. He was arguably the biggest reason why OKC has stolen a game in San Antonio and now lead the series 2-1. For the 76ers, this is a long-awaited sign that they have been officially vindicated for their decision to fire Morey.
Unless you have been living under the rock, you would know that the 76ers recently made a bold cut by parting ways with the longtime executive. Reports say that that McCain trade, while not solely controlling, was one of the major reasons why the ownership decided against him staying for another year to lead the franchise.
The 76ers get vindicated for firing Daryl Morey after Jared McCain explodes
If there is one thing that had doomed the 76ers in the playoffs (and really, in recent years), it is their sore lack of reliable production off the bench. That makes it all the more foolish that Morey gave the green light for the team to ship McCain away to the Thunder, which only had to pay a first-round pick (in the 20s) to snag the sophomore guard.
McCain showed a lot of promise in his rookie campaign, even emerging as the clear-cut favorite to win Rookie of the Year before his season abruptly ended due to injury. He made a successful return to the 76ers this season, but the team eventually grew tired of his injury-related rust and decided to drop the hammer on him.
Where did Morey get “selling high” from, though? Right now, there is literally no way to justify that statement, much less that trade. The 76ers simply blew that one, and there is no person who deserves more blame than the now-former team president.
Daryl Morey has decided wrong a bunch of times in his 76ers tenure, but his call to trade McCain will go down as one of the stupidest choices for the franchise. Now, the eccentric guard is thriving in Oklahoma City, and all the Philly faithful can do is to bitterly express their disdain for that trade.
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