Daryl Morey sent Jared McCain to the Thunder in a deadline deal that Philadelphia Sixers fans didn't see coming, one they wish had never happened.
He tried to justify the trade by saying he was "quite confident" the team sold high on McCain and that it was "the right move to set us up down the road in a better way" with the picks they received from the Thunder. Well, so far, fans aren't feeling that level of optimism, and for good reason.
Philadelphia's bench is averaging just 29 points per game post-deadline, putting them at the bottom of the league, only ahead of Houston. Before the deadline, the bench was already struggling, as the Sixers had averaged only 30.5 points per contest since McCain made his debut in early November, the third-worst mark in the NBA.
McCain did have his issues during the first part of the season in Philly, averaging 6.6 points on 38.5% shooting from the field and 37.8% from three, but that was only in 16.8 minutes per game. With the Sixers' crowded backcourt, Morey opted to part ways with the guard, less than two years after taking him with the No. 16 pick in the first round.
Philadelphia should've waited before making that decision, as McCain is just 22, and Philadelphia's depth is even more lacking than it was. No, Cam Payne isn't the answer. Quentin Grimes has been inconsistent this season, too, and he'll be an unrestricted free agent over the summer, so he could walk and sign elsewhere, making the decision to pass on McCain even more puzzling.
Morey can't change what was already done, but McCain sure is making the Sixers look silly as he has found his groove in the eight games he's played in Oklahoma City.
Daryl Morey made rash decision by trading Jared McCain
Joel Embiid had just started looking like his old, dominant self when he missed time before the All-Star break with knee soreness, which led to shin soreness. He returned in Tuesday's win over the Pacers, dropping 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting.
We're talking about Embiid because with him being available, Philadelphia has a shot to make some noise in the playoffs. It will be hard to do so with a bench that can't seem to score, though. It could make McCain's departure loom even larger.
It may hurt fans to admit, but McCain benefited from Morey's poor decision-making, as he's in a better position with the Thunder, and not just because he could help them repeat this year.
His production has risen significantly from what it was in Philly, and he's shooting the three-ball pretty well, too. Oklahoma City is dealing with a slew of injuries, and for a team that already had the league's deepest bench, adding McCain gave it another threat.
If only the Sixers hadn't ended his time with the organization so soon.