The Philadelphia 76ers cannot catch a break. Already dealing with a revolving door of injuries to their stars, breakout rookie Jared McCain suffered a torn meniscus not too long ago and has since been sidelined indefinitely after surgery. However, it looks like that indefinite tag has now been lifted, albeit for the worst reason.
Shortly after undergoing a successful knee surgery, McCain himself bared that he would be out of commission for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign. While the 76ers have not put out official word yet about his status for the remainder of the season, it’s far from surprising given the timeline for a torn meniscus.
Jared McCain may have confirmed that he'll be out the rest of the season.pic.twitter.com/l6XoDxcyxU
— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) December 22, 2024
The best rookie of the season so far, McCain would now be ineligible for the Rookie of the Year trophy. But even more importnatly, the 76ers will now lose one of their best players for the rest of their campaign and hunt for a playoff spot.
Jared McCain’s injury could make the 76ers do the unthinkable
McCain’s status undeniably changes the strategy for the 76ers front office as they continue dealing with teams on the transaction tables. Moving forward, their biggest priority now shifts to making sure that the team’s backcourt outside of Tyrese Maxey is a functional and playable one. Right now, it clearly is not.
Having said that, Philly should not be so entrenched in that venture as to force the issue just to meet a need. There are certainly some tempting players to go after in trades who can supplement Maxey in the backcourt, but more often that not, they resemble booby traps.
Take Malcolm Brogdon, for example. The veteran is clearly out of place in a freewheeling Wizards team and definitely has the pedigree to be someone the 76ers should look at, but trading for him would require parting with multiple players just to make the salaries work.
Another is Lonzo Ball. Had it not been for his salary and injury history, he would have been a dream fit. Unfortunately, salary and injury history are two things you can never alienate nor change, making the talented playmaker an iffy prospect for the 76ers.
Philadelphia needs to remain on the lookout for players in that range, but excluding those who have similar attendant red flags. Otherwise, it would be more prudent for them to move with more caution and simply resort to more organic options, such as the G-League.
The Philadelphia 76ers may have encountered yet another setback, but at this point, they ought not to do anything that can ultimately add to their baggage.