The Philadelphia 76ers surely anticipated Jared McCain taking time to rediscover himself after missing almost an entire calendar year due to injuries, but they probably did not expect him to look outright unplayable. Now, the front office is getting closer to having to make an inevitable and painful call with their prized sophomore.
More often than not, McCain has looked like a flat-out liability. He is not shooting the ball well at all, nor is he moving the needle for the team as a table-setter. He is no defensive savant either, which makes it difficult to even justify handing him consistent minutes. As such, the 76ers front office could — and probably should — see what the market has in store for them and make the talented guard available for plucking before the trade deadline.
Of course, the thought of trading McCain would have been unfathomable months ago. However, the 76ers do not have the organizational patience — nor could they afford to have one — to wait for him to even be a serviceable, rotation-caliber player. Due diligence dictates that Philly explores trades involving him, even at the cost of stabbing some loyal fans in the cold.
The 76ers have no other choice but to try to trade Jared McCain before the deadline
A good rule of thumb when it comes to dealing with young players is to afford them two to three years to develop and then go from there, but the 76ers are different in that they already have firm options to man the role McCain is supposed to fill. Put simply, he has already shed that indispensable tag that attached to him not long ago.
It will certainly not be an enthusing thought piece for fans to digest process wanting to trade someone like McCain, who looked like the best rookie last season before his injury, but the 76ers are built to win now. He was a good fit next to Tyrese Maxey, but VJ Edgecombe quickly made him expendable. Right now, there is also no argument for him to play more than Quentin Grimes.
With the eccentric guard still touting considerable promise as a potent three-level scorer, the 76ers should still be able to fetch some quality offers for the sophomore. As long as they get a rotation-caliber player who has sufficient roster control in return, that would be a win for them.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a boatload of talent on their roster, but they can only make so many accommodations. The day of reckoning will always come for them, and with Jared McCain, it is poised to come in much sooner than expected. Unfortunately, all signs point to trading him as the most reasonable choice.