The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting real value from the deadline deal for Jared McCain, and the Philadelphia 76ers are still insisting they came out ahead. McCain has settled in quickly with the Thunder, giving them a spark plug scorer off the bench and useful playoff minutes as they try to go back-to-back.
That has only sharpened the debate around a trade that sent McCain to Oklahoma City for a 2026 first-round pick via Houston and three second-round picks. On Tuesday, Jake Fischer reported that Philadelphia believes it can replace McCain in this year’s draft, a sign the team is not backing away from the move even after McCain’s strong fit with his new club. The Sixers are expected to pick at No. 22 overall next month.
Philadelphia’s confidence in the deal has deep roots. The team had maintained that it won the trade from the start, and Daryl Morey, who had two years left on his contract when he was fired, was the executive most associated with that stance. Even now, one source with knowledge of the situation said the McCain trade was not the proverbial last straw in Morey’s exit. Ownership very much approved the deal, and sources say Sixers leadership feels confident in its post-Morey scouting operation.
That matters because the team’s season ended with a jolt of contradiction. The Sixers took down the Boston Celtics in Round 1, then got absolutely smacked by the New York Knicks in Round 2, a collapse that made every roster decision look bigger in hindsight. The McCain move became part of that wider conversation, even as the front office kept pointing to the draft and its belief that another quality player will be there at No. 22.
For Oklahoma City, the transaction has looked cleaner by the week. McCain has fit right in, and his scoring punch off the bench has given the Thunder a boost as they chase another title. For Philadelphia, the argument is now less about what McCain has become than whether the player it takes next month can make the same kind of immediate impact. The trade keeps looking better for one side because McCain keeps producing, and the Sixers will need their draft board to justify the bet they still say they won.
