Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently concocted a list of trade ideas, including one that would see the Philadelphia 76ers send Jared McCain to the Sacramento Kings in a deal for Keegan Murray. Kelly Oubre Jr. would also head West in the trade, which would be a two-for-one deal.
McCain enjoyed a ton of success during his rookie season with the Sixers, but it was cut short due to a torn meniscus, which he suffered in December. Now, he’s slated to be a part of the next iteration of Philadelphia’s core as they look to win a championship with Joel Embiid at the helm.
That is, unless the 76ers trade him.
Should the 76ers trade Jared McCain?
Whether or not the 76ers should trade McCain is one question, and whether or not the 76ers should trade McCain to the Kings in this specific trade is another.
Trading McCain would be a bit odd. He’s barely played for the 76ers, but when he did play, he was perfect. His three-point shooting and shot creation should give their offense a huge boost.
However, if they could package him in a deal to add win-now talent next to Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, maybe it would be worth it. But at the same time, it could be worth it for Philly to keep McCain, pair him with Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and give themselves a young core to move forward with in the post-Embiid era.
Meanwhile, the question of whether or not the 76ers should trade McCain and Oubre to the Kings for Murray is another. And the answer is almost certainly no.
Murray is a fine player, and he probably fits in with the 76ers’ current starting five better than McCain. Rather than rolling out Maxey, McCain, Edgecombe, Paul George, and Embiid, Philly could play Murray in McCain’s place and add a bit of size to the lineup.
But at this point, the 76ers shouldn’t be looking to trade talent for fit. They aren’t close enough to a title, and, perhaps more importantly, there are too many injury questions surrounding their stars.
Not only that, but throwing Oubre into the trade would hurt their depth. He and McCain are important rotation pieces for the 76ers, and if Embiid can’t get healthy, McCain will be a crucial building block for the future.
Trading him at all would be a questionable decision for the 76ers to make, but trading him in a package deal for Murray would definitely be a move they would regret.