Jared McCain’s sophomore season hasn't commenced in the way that many had hoped. So much so that Bleacher Report proposed a mock trade involving McCain that sparked some debate among Philadelphia 76ers fans.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report hypothesized a deal between the 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies in which Philadelphia would receive Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson for McCain. Although this package is far from underwhelming, the 76ers shouldn't entertain trading McCain for the foreseeable future.
Given McCain’s first 16 games of the year, it's easy for fans to develop a short-term memory. The guard is tallying 6.9 points on 33.9% shooting from the field and 1.8 assists. This was the same player who was on pace to unanimously win the Rookie of the Year award last season, however.
McCain displayed glimpses of an ability to impact the offense with or without the ball as a three-level scoring threat who can handle the ball as a primary creator. Although it was a 23-game sample size, he notched 15.3 points on 46% shooting from the field and 2.6 assists.
Some fans may see this and believe it to be inconsequential given Philadelphia's 24-58 finish last season. But, if one looked closer, they’d see that McCain’s skillset is exactly what the 76ers need: ball-handling and offensive variety.
The unfortunate aspect of McCain’s defense is that it mostly comes in hypotheticals as he is yet to return to form. The guard saw his rookie year prematurely end due to suffering torn left meniscus in December 2024 and debuted seven games into this season, after experiencing a torn UCL on September 25th.
McCain began the year on a minutes restriction and despite shaking it, Nick Nurse’s judgment has kept his role minimized. Nurse typically rewards two-way players with larger roles and McCain’s defense, which was a work in progress before injuries, is seemingly the swing factor in his lower minutes.
But, the 21-year-old’s offensive impact hasn't trumped his defensive troubles, nevertheless. McCain has struggled when facing ball pressure amidst Tyrese Maxey’s absence, which provided him an increased ball-handling role and he hasn’t found success from deep either; shooting 33.9% from three-point range on 3.9 attempts.
The guard trails Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe in Philadelphia’s pecking order, logging 17.8 minutes per game. However, he has totaled 39 games in his NBA career, which isn't halfway through one regular season. The Duke product is still a rookie in a sense and the 76ers must stay patient. His flashes of offensive brilliance are buried beneath short minute stints. McCain hasn't played 20 minutes since the 76ers’ win against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 5th.
The guard cannot endure the necessary growing pains to re-tap into his offensive potential without the ability to play through his mistakes. Unless Philadelphia widens his leash, McCain will continue to help in doses, stalling his development.