Chaos ensued in the Philadelphia 76ers' fan base as the franchise sanctioned a trade that would see the highly-rated young guard, Jared McCain, play out the remainder of his sophomore year with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This deal allowed Philadelphia to acquire the Houston Rockets' 2026 first-round pick. Per Fansided's Christopher Kline, the 76ers' backcourt replacement may be more obvious than supporters realise -- Vanderbilt's second-year guard, Tyler Tanner.
Due to Houston's impressive performances in the Western Conference during the 2025-2026 campaign, the Sixers will have to be patient on draft night, waiting until the latter stages of the first round to select their talent. As it stands, they will own the 26th overall pick in the NBA draft. However, due to the abundance of effective guards in this class, this acquired capital will be more valuable than in other years.
Draft expert Kline states that "Daryl Morey has long committed to taking the best player available, regardless of perceived fit, with a heavy deference to analytics." This suggests that the Vanderbilt sophomore will inevitably land in the City of Philadelphia.
Tyler Tanner is the natural point guard that the 76ers need
Despite Tyrese Maxey's impressive playmaking development this campaign, it is fair to suggest that the 25-year-old is more productive when he is a menace off-ball, creating space and draining shots from deep. Tanner's brilliant ball-handling ability and sensational court awareness will help him establish himself as a perfect rotational option for the Sixers as he continues his development.
Tanner has established himself as a combo-guard with the attributes to contribute in several different facets of the game, depending on what his team requires of him at the time. The Vanderbilt guard has averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 assists per game, while shooting 49.1% from the floor. Additionally, Tanner registered a career-high 14 assists during the Commodores' 83-71 victory at South Carolina on January 3.
On the other hand, Tanner possesses limitations in his game that would only supplement weaknesses that hinder Philadelphia's championship potential. Defensively, the 20-year-old leaves a lot to be desired, both in terms of performance and physical stature. At six feet tall, Tanner isn’t going to be a dominant interior presence, which is something the 76ers desperately need for frontcourt depth alongside Maxey.
Per Cristopher Kline, Tanner is far from a lost cause on the defensive end of the floor. "He will be limited in terms of on-ball matchups, of course, but he will force turnovers and find ways to impact the game with his activity level," writes Fansided's draft analyst.
There is no doubt that the Jared McCain trade will still leave a sour taste in the mouths of Philadelphia 76ers supporters, but Christopher Kline's mock draft provides perspective on the deal. This class of 2026 is stacked with backcourt talent. Although Tanner doesn’t offer a direct replica of McCain’s game, his playmaking prowess could address the Sixers’ persistent need for a natural facilitator -- while also mirroring his predecessor's defensive flaws.